Bill > S642

This bill provides a comprehensive settlement for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community regarding historical land claims within their L'Anse Indian Reservation in Michigan. Specifically, the bill acknowledges that between 1893 and 1937, the federal government improperly conveyed 2,743 acres of "swamp lands" and between 1,333 and 2,720 acres of "canal lands" to the State of Michigan without just compensation, despite the tribe's treaty-guaranteed rights. To resolve these historical injustices, the bill authorizes a $33.9 million payment to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, which they can use for governmental services, economic development, natural resources protection, and land acquisition (but not for gaming purposes). In exchange, the tribe will permanently extinguish all legal claims to these specific land parcels, and current landowners will receive clear title to the disputed lands. The bill aims to provide a fair, non-confrontational resolution that compensates the tribe for past land takings while providing certainty for current landowners, based on the tribe's historical treaties from 1842 and 1854 and the federal government's acknowledgment that the original land transfers were improper.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/642/all-info