WASHINGTON –
On Tuesday, September 10 at 2:30 PM, Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will chair a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs legislative hearing on three bills:
The Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act (S. 1448);
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act (S. 1219); and
New Mexico Native American Water Settlements Technical Corrections Act (S. 1447).
The Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act (S. 1448), introduced by Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), provides restitution to the Tribe for land used to construct the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in northeastern Washington State. The reservoir has covered lands on the Spokane Reservation along both the Columbia and Spokane rivers. The purpose of this Act is to provide fair and equitable compensation to the Spokane Tribe for the use of their land for hydropower generation.
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act (S. 1219) introduced by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Feinstein (D-CA), provides a comprehensive and equitable settlement of longstanding claims to water rights in the Santa Margarita River Watershed on the Pacific coast of Southern California. The legislation resolves the claims to water resources and ratifies an agreement between the Pechanga Band and the United States and California water districts, including Rancho California Water District and Eastern Municipal Water District.
The New Mexico Native American Water Settlements Technical Corrections Act (S. 1447), introduced by Senators Udall (D-NM) and Heinrich (D-NM) makes technical corrections to certain Native American water rights settlements in the state of New Mexico. The Act addresses a number of technical changes in one bill, eliminating the need for the introduction and enactment of separate smaller bills.
DETAILS
WHAT: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs legislative hearing on S. 1448, S. 1219, and S. 1447
WHEN: 2:30 PM, Tuesday, September 10, 2013
WHERE: 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Live video and witness testimony will be provided at indian.senate.gov
WITNESS LIST
The Honorable Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC
The Honorable Rudy J. Peone, Chairman, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Wellpinit, WA
Mrs. Marian Wynecoop, Tribal Elder, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Wellpinit, WA
The Honorable Mark Macarro, Chairman, Pechanga Band of Luiseno
Indians, Temecula, CA
Mr. Matthew Stone, General Manager, Rancho California Water District, Temecula, CA