Mark Hatfield: “Now, Mr. President, this is probably the last act of legislation that I will perform in my long tenure in the Senate. I…”

“Now, Mr. President, this is probably the last act of legislation that I will perform in my long tenure in the Senate. I want to offer today, and I am very hopeful that even though this is in the closing hours that this will rise above any other kind of considerations because it offers an opportunity for all of us to correct a historic wrong. One hundred and forty-one years ago, at the request of the U.S. Government, the Tribes of Middle Oregon gathered near The Dalles on the Columbia River to negotiate and sign a treaty that would forever change the lives of their people. On June 25, 1855, after many days of extended discussions and negotiations with Joel Palmer, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Oregon Territory, the treaty between the Tribes of Middle Oregon and the United States was signed. It was ratified by the U.S. Senate March 8, 1859 and has served since that time as the primary agreement between the Warm Springs Tribes and the U.S. Government.”