82D CONGRESS } SENATE.

Calendar No. 1099

REPORT
2dSession f { No. 1169

AMENDING THE ACT AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND

RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN CONTRACTS WITH CERTAIN
INDIANS OF THE SIOUX TRIBE IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE TIME
FOR NEGOTIATION AND APPROVAL OF SUCH CONTRACTS

FEBRUARY 14 (legislative day, JANUARY 10), 1952.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. O'MAHONEY, from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs,

submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany S. 24081
The Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs to whom was
referred the bill (S. 2408) to amend the act authorizing the negotiation
and ratification of certain contracts with certain Indians of the Sioux
Tribe in order to extend the time for negotiation and approval of such
contracts, having considered the same, report favorably thereon
without amendment, and with the recommendation that the bill do
pass.
The purpose of this bill is simply to extend the time for negotiation
and ratification of certain contracts with the Sioux Indians of the
Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota and of the Standing
Rock Reservation in South Dakota and North Dakota with respect to
Indian land and rights needed by the United States for the Oahe Dam
and Reservoir located on the Missouri River.
Weather conditions in the Dakotas during the past two winters have
materially hampered the extensive field work required. It now appears
certain that 18 months will not be sufficient time in which to ac-
complish all that must be done prior to submission of the required
contracts to the Congress pursuant to the act.
The only purpose of S. 2408 is to extend the time an additional 9
months by amending Public Law 870, Eighty-first Congress second
session, agreed to September 30, 1950, in section 5 (a) by striking out
the words "eighteen months" and inserting in lieu thereof the words
"twenty-seven months".
Further detailed information is contained in the favorable reports
of the Department of the Interior, the DAnartment of the Army,
2 RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN CONTRACTS WITH SIOUX INDIANS

and the Bureau of the Budget, to the chairman of the Senate Com-.
mittee on Interior and Insular Affairs, are hereinbelow set forth in
full and made a part of this report:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington 25, D. C., February 6,
1952.
Hon. JOSEPH C. O'MAHONEY,
Chairman, Interior and Insular Affairs Committee,
United States Senate.
MY DEAR SENATOR O'MAHONEY: Reference is made to your request for a
report on S. 2408, a bill to amend the act authorizing the negotiation and ratifica-
tion of certain contracts with certain Indians of the Sioux Tribe in order to extend
the time for negotiation and approval of such contracts.
I recommend that this bill be enacted.
Public Law 870, Eighty-first Congress, second session, approved September 30,
1950, allowed 18 months thereafter for the negotiation of separate settlement
contracts with the Sioux Indians of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South
Dakota and of the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota and North Dakota
with respect to Indian land and rights needed by the United States for the Oahe
Dam and Reservoir located on the Missouri River. The negotiations between the
representatives of the Chief of Army Engineers, the Secretary of the Interior, and
the Sioux Tribes are dependent upon appraisals of more than 3,400 tracts of Indian
land comprising about 164,000 acres. Arrangements had to be worked out for
moving 11 cemeteries. Over 125 miles of graded and graveled roads will be
rendered useless, thus requiring development of a new network of roads to service a
relocated population of over 300 families. Various socioeconomic, health, educa-
tion, and relocation studies have had to be made in order to supply the negotiators
with full information. Weather conditions in the Dakotas during the past two
winters have materially hampered the extensive field work required. It now ap-
pears certain that 18 months will not be sufficient time in which to accomplish all
that must be done prior to submission of the required contracts to the Congress
pursuant to the Act.
It is my understanding that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe desires to extend
the time for negotiation to 27 months and that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
wishes an extension to 28 months. It is anticipated the Department can complete
its work within the 27-month period of time mentioned in S. 2408 but I have no
objection to increasing the period of time to 28 months.
The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the submis-
sion of this report to your committee.
Sincerely yours,
DALE E. DOTY,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY,

Washington 25, D. C., February 5, 195&.
Hon. JOSEPH C. O'MAHONEY,
Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs,
United States Senate.
DEAR SENATOR O'MAHONEY: Reference is made to your request to the Secre-
tary of Defense for the views of the Department of Defense with respect to S. 2408,
Eighty-second Congress, a bill to amend the act authorizing the negotiation and
ratification of certain contracts with certain Indians of the Sioux Tribe in order
to extend the time for negotiation and approval of such contracts, The Secretary
of Defense has delegated to the Department of the Army the responsibility for
expressing the views of the Department of Defense thereon.
The Department of the Army on behalf of the Department of Defense has no
objection to the above-mentioned bill.
The act of Congress approved September 30, 1950 (64 Stat. 1093), authorized
the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, jointly with the Secretary of the
Interior, to negotiate separate contracts with the Sioux Indians of the Cheyenne
River Reservation in South Dakota, and the Sioux Indians of the Standing Rock
Reservation in South and North Dakota, which will provide for conveyance to
the United States of the title to all tribal, allotted, and inherited lands or interests
therein belonging to the Indians of the tribe which are required by the United
 RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN CONTRACTS WITH SIOUX INDIANS 3
States for the Oahe Dam and Reservoir project, and made provision for payment
by the United States of just compensation for all the land and improvements.
The purpose of this measure is indicated in its title. The period of 18 months
provided for in section 5 (a) of the act of Congress approved September 30, 1950,
for negotiations authorized in the act will expire on March 30, 1952. It is now
apparent that the scope of the undertaking, coupled with unforeseen circumstances
adversely affecting progress of negotiations, make it impossible to complete the
negotiations within the time provided. The amendment of section 5 (a) so as
to provide an additional period of 9 months should remedy this situation.
Enactment of this measure into law will not involve the expenditure of any
Federal funds.
A report on an identical bill, H. R. 6030, Eighty-second Congress, has been
coordinated among the departments and boards in the Department of Defense in
accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the submis-
sion of a similar report on H. R. 6030, an identical bill.
Sincerely yours,
FRANK PACE, Jr.
Secretary of the Army.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,
BUREAU OF THE BUDGET,
Washington 15, D. C., January 24, 1952.
Hon. JOSEPH C. O'MAHONEY,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs,
Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.
My DEAR SENATOR O'MAHONEY: This is in reply to your request of January 16,
1952, for the views of this office with respect to S. 2408, a -bill to amend the act
authorizing the negotiation and ratification of certain contracts with certain
Indians of the Sioux Tribe in order to extend the time for negotiation and approval
of such contracts.
This office knows of no objection to the enactment of this measure.
Sincerely yours,
ELMER B. STAATS,
Assistant Director.
PUBLIC LAW 870, EIGHTY-FIRST CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
In compliance with subsection (4) of rule XXIX of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, S. 2408
as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted
is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, existing
law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
SEc. 5. (a) The contracts negotiated and approved pursuant to this Act shall
be submitted to the Congress within [eighteen months] twenty-seven months from
and after the date of enactment of this Act.