A scene from the Siletz Tribes powwow. Photo from Siletz Tribal Energy Program / Facebook
Lawmakers went on extended break on Thursday but not before the Senate passed land-into-trust bills for two tribes in Oregon. The measures benefit the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Both were approved by unanimous consent, meaning there were no objections. “Both bills demonstrate the Senate’s willingness to listen to tribes and to act,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, said in a press release. Under S.817, any land acquired by the Siletz Tribes within the original 1855 Siletz Coast Reservation will be considered a part of the current reservation. For the Grande Ronde Tribes, S.818 eases the number of steps currently required for land to be acquired and declared a part of its reservation. Both bills were approved by Barrasso's committee at a business meeting on November 18, 2015. They now await consideration in the House. “The House of Representatives should take up both pieces of legislation quickly," said Barrasso. The House version of the Siletz bill is H.R.3211. The Grande Ronde bill is H.R.3212. The House could pass those versions or take up the ones passed by the Senate.
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