Bill > HR165

This bill establishes a process for transferring approximately 40 acres of land at the Wounded Knee Massacre site on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to a special "restricted fee status" owned by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Under this status, the land will remain owned by the tribes, be part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and be subject to the tribes' jurisdiction, but cannot be transferred without Congressional and tribal consent. The Secretary of the Interior must complete all necessary documentation to establish this land status within 365 days of the bill's enactment. The land will be subject to existing federal laws regarding Indian lands and will remain bound by any existing utility or service agreements. Importantly, the land cannot be used for gaming activities, as specified in a covenant between the two tribes dated October 21, 2022. The bill honors the historical significance of the Wounded Knee Massacre site, which occurred on December 29, 1890, and involves tribes that were signatories to the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty, recognizing their ongoing relationship with this sacred land.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/165/all-info