I want to just make the point that, as the witnesses here testified today, many tribes were unrecognized in 1934 because of harmful Federal policies.

we want to be fair and abide by the Constitution, abide by the treaties.

We are not saying by any means there is no need for a solution. Let us just make sure it is the right solution that respects the needs of citizens and communities and towns and cities and states as well as a fair process and also that recognizes the past injustices and the need to deal fairly and effectively with the problems of Native American sovereign tribes that are recognized by the Federal government.

I am part of that trust responsibility. The trust responsibility is not just with the executive branch of government.

Just as an aside, my father lived in the area of where your reservation is, Buckley, Michigan.

the treaties are the supreme law of the land.

I first of all would like to thank the gentleman from the Interior Department for his testimony.

And I just want to let the author know there are some real conflicts here, and unless they are addressed, we will have a little problem.

And I think, as Mr. Cole stated earlier, it has the potential to affect generations of economic development that have really turned around tribal communities.

But this would be as a result of litigation, would it not?

I think with lending as sluggish as it is right now that the lender would be very hesitant to lend money where there is some question as to whether the law covers them as a really existing potential borrower.