Jerry Lewis: “The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe has lived in the harsh environment around Death Valley National Park for thousands of years.…”

“The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe has lived in the harsh environment around Death Valley National Park for thousands of years. S. 2102 provides for the transfer of approximately 7,754 acres of land in trust for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. This land will allow the tribe to live permanently and govern its affairs in a modern community. In the past, the tribe has tried unsuccessfully to obtain trust land within its aboriginal homeland area. After 5 years of intense consultation and negotiations, a study report was completed in late 1999 that set forth recommendations for this legislation implementing a comprehensive integrated plan for a permanent homeland for the tribe. S. 2102 also formally recognizes the tribe's contributions to the history, culture and ecology of the Death Valley National Park and surrounding areas. S. 2102 ensures that the resources within the park are protected and enhanced by cooperative activities within the tribe's ancestral homeland and by partnerships between the tribe and the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.”