the purpose of the IRA provisions for fee-to-trust acquisitions was to address energy projects, housing, infrastructure (hospitals, schools, etc.) and reduce checkerboarding.

The shameful allotment and assimilation periods of the late 19th and 20th century was nothing short of a disastrous time for Native people.

This is why the Carcieri decision has been so troubling in Indian Country.

We must ensure that tribes are treated with the fairness and dignity they rightfully deserve.

The return of land to the tribes was and continues to be critical to restoring the tribal way of life.

the IRA's goal was to, and I quote, "rehabilitate the Indians' economic life, and to give him a chance to develop the initiative destroyed by a century of oppression and paternalism."

Throughout our Nation's history, tribes have suffered abuse and ongoing indignity at the hands of the Federal Government.

Despite the progress that the IRA accomplished, it still has returned less than 10 percent of the roughly 90 million acres that were taken from tribes.

Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking also my friend, Representative Pearce from New Mexico, for offering this amendment with me. Mr. Chair, during our committee work on portions of this bill, I raised this issue and offered a similar…

I wanted to associate myself with the comments from my colleagues from California regarding offshore drilling in the coast of California.

I simply want to say that we have heard over and over in this meeting that there was very little tribal consultation before introducing this legislation.