Politics

House Natural Resources Committee hearing

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The House Natural Resources Committee held a legislative hearing this morning on the following bills:

* H.R. 673: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, into trust as part of the reservation of the Cocopah Indian Tribe, and for other purposes.
* H.R. 1575: To reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationship of the Burt Lake Band as a distinct federally recognized Indian Tribe, and for other purposes. (Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Reaffirmation Act)
* H.R. 2120: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to proclaim as reservation for the benefit of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians a parcel of land now held in trust by the United States for that Indian tribe.

The committee heard from three panels of witnesses. You can download MP3 clips of the hearing below:

Opening Statements Part 1
Panel 1 - Testimony | Opening Statements Part 2 | Q&A
Congressman Bart Stupak (H.R. 1575, H.R. 2120), D-MI
Panel 2 - Testimony | Q&A
Mr. George Skibine (H.R. 673, H.R. 1575, H.R. 2120), Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.;
Accompanied by R. Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment
Panel 3 - Testimony | Q&A
Mr. Paul Soto (H.R. 673), Tribal Resource Planner, Cocopah Indian Tribe, Somerton, AZ
Chairman Curtis Chambers (H.R. 1575), Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Brutus, MI
Dr. Alice Littlefield (H.R. 1575), Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Central Michigan University, Omena, MI
Chairman Aaron Payment (H.R. 2120), Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Sault Ste. Marie, MI;
Accompanied by Fred Paquin, Tribal Board of Directors, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, St. Ignace, MI