{"id":25197,"date":"2022-06-15T00:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T04:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=25197"},"modified":"2022-06-15T12:32:22","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T16:32:22","slug":"tom-wooten-samish-nation-faces-termination-era-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/15\/tom-wooten-samish-nation-faces-termination-era-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Wooten: Samish Nation faces termination era threats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kwOEXnamvTw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Chairman Tom Wooten: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/kwOEXnamvTw>H.R.6181 \u2013 Samish Indian Nation Land Reaffirmation Act &#8211; April 27, 2022<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Threat to Samish is a threat to all Indian Country sovereignty<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Wednesday, June 15, 2022<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\"> By Tom Wooten <\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Chairman, Samish Indian Nation <\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><a href=https:\/\/www.samishtribe.nsn.us>samishtribe.nsn.us<\/a><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Samish Indian Nation has historically suffered significant obstacles in our path to self-determination, due to agency mistakes, inaction, delay and decades of litigation. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe latest hurdle comes in the form of proposed amendments to <a href=https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/6181>H.R. 6181<\/a>, scheduled for markup this Wednesday, June 15, by the House Natural Resources Committee. These amendments, offered by acting House  Indigenous Peoples Subcommittee Ranking Member <a href=https:\/\/obernolte.house.gov\/>Rep. Jay Obernolte<\/a> (R-California), would terminate a decision of the Interior Department to take land into trust for Samish and nullify the department\u2019s positive <em>Carcieri<\/em> determination for Samish, which documents Samish\u2019s historical government-to-government relationship with the United States as required under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.    \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nH.R. 6181 simply reaffirms that the <a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indian_Reorganization_Act>Indian Reorganization Act<\/a>, a cornerstone tribal law, applies to Samish. The proposed amendments would radically overhaul federal policy toward Tribes.  \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nMoreover, Samish has amended this bill twice to accommodate concerns of nearby tribes, including adding a provision drafted by the Congressional Research Service to ensure that no treaty\r\n rights of any tribe are affected.   \r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"card border border-primary shadow-0 \">\r\n  <div class=\"card-body\">\r\n<div class=row>\r\n<div class=col-4>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/15\/tom-wooten-samish-nation-faces-termination-era-threats\/tomwooten\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-25269\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"495\" height=\"660\" data-attachment-id=\"25269\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/15\/tom-wooten-samish-nation-faces-termination-era-threats\/tomwooten\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/15\/TomWooten.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"495,660\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Tom Wooten\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Tom Wooten&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tom Wooten. Photo courtesy Samish Indian Nation&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/15\/TomWooten.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/15\/TomWooten.jpg\" alt=\"Tom Wooten\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-25269\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Tom Wooten. Photo courtesy Samish Indian Nation<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=col-8>\r\n    <h5 class=\"card-title\">H.R.6181 &#8211; Samish Indian Nation Land Reaffirmation Act<\/h5>\r\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"20\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1259337688&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;inverse=false&#038;auto_play=false&#038;show_user=false\"><\/iframe>\r\nThe Honorable Tom Wooten  <BR>\r\nChairman<BR>\r\nSamish Indian Nation<BR>\r\nAnacortes, Washington<BR>\r\n Written Testimony &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/27\/Wooten042722.pdf\">PDF<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nSadly, since the early 1970s, nearby tribes have opposed our efforts at every turn &#8212; from our effort to reinstate our federal recognition to our work to put our fee land into trust. For over 14 years,\r\n Samish has acted in good faith to address treaty rights concerns of these tribes in its legislation. However, these tribes have always moved the goal post on Samish to run out the congressional clock.   \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Obernolte amendments hearken back to the dark &#8220;termination era\u201d from the 1940s to 1960s, when Congress passed laws to dismantle tribal sovereignty and sever the government-to-government relationships with tribes across the country. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIf enacted, the Obernolte amendments would set a dangerous precedent of Congress reversing a decision of the Interior Department to take land into trust for a tribe and repudiating a positive\r\n<em>Carcieri<\/em> determination for a tribe.  \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAdditionally, it would pose a threat to the bedrock principles of the United States that all federally recognized tribes should be treated fairly and the same under federal law. \r\n<P><\/P><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><P><\/p>\r\nWe have worked for many decades to rebuild our community, provide essential services to our citizens, and develop strong relationships with the local and state governments.  \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Obernolte amendments threaten the land that has belonged to our ancestors since time immemorial, and we cannot give up in our efforts to preserve our culture. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThese harmful amendments must be rejected.  \r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">House Committee on Natural Resources Notice<\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/hearings\/hybrid-fc-markup-6152022>Markup of HR 263, HR 5444, HR 6063, HR 6181, HR 6337, HR 6427, HR 6707, HR 6734, HR 7002, HR 7025, HR 7075, S. 789<\/a> (June 15, 2022)\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/09\/indian-country-legislation-hijacked-by-republicans-on-capitol-hill\/\" title=\"Indian Country legislation \u2018hijacked\u2019 by Republicans on Capitol Hill\">Indian Country legislation \u2018hijacked\u2019 by Republicans on Capitol Hill<\/a> (June 9, 2022)<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/08\/house-committee-on-natural-resources-markup-on-indian-country-bills\/\" title=\"House Committee on Natural Resources markup on Indian Country bills\">House Committee on Natural Resources markup on Indian Country bills<\/a> (June 8, 2022)<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/04\/29\/house-subcommittee-for-indigenous-peoples-of-the-united-states-legislative-hearing-6\/\" title=\"House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Legislative Hearing\">House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Legislative Hearing<\/a> (April 29, 2022)<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/04\/27\/house-subcommittee-for-indigenous-peoples-of-the-united-states-legislative-hearing-5\/\" title=\"House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Legislative Hearing\">House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Legislative Hearing<\/a> (April 27, 2022)<\/div>\r\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/15\/SamishNation.jpg\" alt=\"Samish Nation\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" class=\"invisible\" \/> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Samish Indian Nation has historically suffered significant obstacles in our path to self-determination, due to agency mistakes, inaction, delay and decades of 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