Frank Pallone: “the U.S. Government has repeatedly committed to a trustee relationship with the American Indian nations. Defined by…”

“the U.S. Government has repeatedly committed to a trustee relationship with the American Indian nations. Defined by treaties, statutes, and interpreted by the courts, the trust relationship requires the Federal Government to exercise the highest degree of care with tribal and Indian lands and resources. At first, the Federal trust responsibility served to protect tribal lands and tribal communities from intrusion. However, in a push to acquire tribal lands and turn Indians into farmers, the Federal Government imposed reservation allotment programs pursuant to the General Allotment Act of 1887. Under these policies, the selling and leasing of allotted lands and inherited interests became primary functions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribes lost 90 million acres and much of the remaining 54 million acres was opened to non-Indian use by lease. In sum, the Federal Government took the trust responsibility for Indian land upon itself in order to gain the benefit of vast tribal lands and resources that were guaranteed by treaty, executive order, and agreements for exclusive use by the tribes. It is widely known, Mr. Speaker, that the BIA grossly mismanaged and squandered billions of dollars worth of resources that should have gone to the benefit of often impoverished American Indians.”