25 U.S.C. § 463d : Indians — Miscellaneous — Protection Of Indians And Conservation Of Resources — Restoration Of Lands In Umatilla Indian Reservation To Tribal Ownership

Inheritance of Trust or Restricted Lands

Pub. L. 95–264, Apr. 18, 1978, 92 Stat. 202, provided:

“That the right to inherit trust or restricted land on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, to the extent that the laws of descent of the State of Oregon are inconsistent herewith, shall be as provided herein.

When any Indian dies leaving any interest in trust or restricted land within the Umatilla Reservation and not having lawfully devised the same, such interest shall descend in equal shares to his or her children and to the issue of any deceased child by right of representation; and if there is no child of the decedent living at the time of his or her death, such interests shall descend to his or her other lineal descendants; and if such descendants are in the same degree of kindred to the intestate, they shall take such real property equally, or otherwise they shall take according to the right of representation. An interest taken hereunder shall be subject to the right of a surviving spouse as provided in section 3.

The surviving spouse of any Indian who dies leaving any interest in trust or restricted land within the Umatilla Reservation shall be entitled to obtain a one-half interest in all such trust or restricted interests in land during his or her lifetime.

If any Indian, who leaves any interest in trust or restricted land within the Umatilla Reservation, makes provisions for his or her surviving spouse by an approved will, such surviving spouse shall have an election whether to take the provisions as made in such will or to take the interest as set forth in section 3 of this Act, but such surviving spouse shall not be entitled to both unless it plainly appears by the will to have been so intended by the testator. When any surviving spouse is entitled to an election under this section, he or she shall be deemed to have elected to take the provisions as made in such will unless, at or prior to the first hearing to probate the will, he or she has elected to take under section 3 of this Act and not under the will.

The provisions of this Act shall apply to all estates of decedents who die on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Apr. 18, 1978].”

Conveyance of Lands To Stimulate Industrial Development

Pub. L. 85–186, Aug. 28, 1957, 71 Stat. 468, provided:

“That, upon request of any Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity, and approval of the request by the Secretary of the Interior as provided in this Act, the Administrator of the General Services Administration is authorized to transfer, without cost to such Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity, title to any property of the United States at the McNary Dam townsite, Umatilla, Oregon, or at Pickstown, South Dakota, that is declared surplus pursuant to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (Act of June 30, 1949; 63 Stat. 378), as amended [see chapters 1 to 11 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of Title 41, Public Contracts]. Such property shall not be exempt from taxation because of the fact that title is held by the Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity.

The Secretary of the Interior shall approve a request for surplus property pursuant to this Act only if—

“(a) the Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity is organized under State or Federal law in a form satisfactory to the Secretary for the purpose of holding title to the property;

“(b) the surplus property is to be used to stimulate industrial development near the Indian tribe, band, group, or reservations;

“(c) the Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity has executed a contract with an industrial enterprise that is acceptable to the Secretary;

“(d)

the contract between the Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity and the industrial enterprise contains such provisions as the Secretary deems desirable, including in substance the following:

“(1) Title to the property will remain in the Indian tribe, group, or corporate entity, and the property will be made available to the industrial enterprise at a rental fee commensurate with the purposes of this Act, which rental shall be paid to the United States Treasury.

“(2) The industrial enterprise will employ Indians in large enough numbers to justify, in the judgment of the Secretary, the purposes of this Act.

“(3) The industrial enterprise will agree to pay its employees fair and equitable wages commensurate with the general wage scale in the area.

“(4) The industrial enterprise will maintain the property in good repair, pay all taxes properly assessed against the property, and be responsible for the payment of all charges for utility services to the property.

“(5) At the end of the contract period the industry will have an option to purchase the property at its appraised price, as determined by the Secretary, the proceeds of such sale will revert to the United States Treasury.

Any transfer of title to surplus property pursuant to this Act shall provide for a reversion of title to the United States if the Secretary of the Interior finds that the property is not being used in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The United States shall not be responsible for providing to the Indians who are employed in an industrial development pursuant to this Act community services that are normally furnished by State and local governments, such as school, health, welfare, and law-enforcement services.

The transfer of McNary Dam townsite shall be upon the express condition that persons or families occupying residential property on the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 28, 1957] shall be entitled to at least one hundred and eighty days’ notice of termination of their occupancy.”