Governor Kotek Issues Statement on Passage of Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amendment
Today, Governor Tina Kotek made the following statement after it was announced that, earlier this week, the U.S. Senate passed the Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amendment of 2023. The bill seeks to rectify the unintended consequences of the 1994 amendment to the Grand Ronde Reservation Act, which inadvertently curtailed the Tribe's historic ability to assert their land claims. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1722 on November 8.
“For far too long, the Grand Ronde have been unjustly denied the right to pursue land claims and compensation,” said Governor Kotek. “We have to do better for all of Oregon’s sovereign Tribes. The enactment of this legislation will alleviate concerns and uncertainties stemming from the 1994 amendment, preserving the Tribe's pre-1994 right to compensation and ensuring a clear and just resolution in the event of any future land survey discrepancies. I am greatly appreciative of Oregon’s federal delegation in leading on this legislation, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law by President Biden.”
The proposed legislation, championed by Congresswoman Andrea Salinas and Senator Jeff Merkley, carefully revises the land claims of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde in Oregon. The bill is a targeted solution, ensuring that only the Tribes’ claims to the specific 84 acres known as the Thompson Strip are extinguished, rather than a broad relinquishment of all land claims within Oregon. It provides a fair and just resolution to the unintended consequences of the 1994 amendment.
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“For far too long, the Grand Ronde have been unjustly denied the right to pursue land claims and compensation,” said Governor Kotek. “We have to do better for all of Oregon’s sovereign Tribes. The enactment of this legislation will alleviate concerns and uncertainties stemming from the 1994 amendment, preserving the Tribe's pre-1994 right to compensation and ensuring a clear and just resolution in the event of any future land survey discrepancies. I am greatly appreciative of Oregon’s federal delegation in leading on this legislation, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law by President Biden.”
The proposed legislation, championed by Congresswoman Andrea Salinas and Senator Jeff Merkley, carefully revises the land claims of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde in Oregon. The bill is a targeted solution, ensuring that only the Tribes’ claims to the specific 84 acres known as the Thompson Strip are extinguished, rather than a broad relinquishment of all land claims within Oregon. It provides a fair and just resolution to the unintended consequences of the 1994 amendment.
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