25 U.S.C. § 1751 : US Code - Section 1751: Congressional findings

Search 25 U.S.C. § 1751 : US Code - Section 1751: Congressional findings

The Congress finds that -
(a) there is pending before the United States District Court
for the District of Connecticut a civil action entitled "Western
Pequot Tribe of Indians against Holdridge Enterprises
Incorporated, et al., Civil Action Numbered H76-193 (D. Conn.),"
which involves Indian claims to certain public and private lands
within the town of Ledyard, Connecticut;
(b) the pendency of this lawsuit has placed a cloud on the
titles to much of the land in the town of Ledyard, including
lands not involved in the lawsuit, which has resulted in severe
economic hardships for the residents of the town;
(c) the Congress shares with the State of Connecticut and the
parties to the lawsuit a desire to remove all clouds on titles
resulting from such Indian land claims;
(d) the parties to the lawsuit and others interested in the
settlement of Indian land claims within the State of Connecticut
have reached an agreement which requires implementing legislation
by the Congress of the United States and the Legislature of the
State of Connecticut;
(e) the Western Pequot Tribe, as represented as of October 18,
1983, by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, is the sole
successor in interest to the aboriginal entity generally known as
the Western Pequot Tribe which years ago claimed aboriginal title
to certain lands in the State of Connecticut; and
(f) the State of Connecticut is contributing twenty acres of
land owned by the State of Connecticut to fulfill this
subchapter. The State of Connecticut will construct and repair
three sections of paved or gravel roadways within the reservation
of the Tribe. The State of Connecticut has provided special
services to the members of the Western Pequot Tribe residing
within its borders. The United States has provided few, if any,
special services to the Western Pequot Tribe and has denied that
it had jurisdiction over or responsibility for said Tribe. In
view of the provision of land by the State of Connecticut, the
provision of paved roadways by the State of Connecticut, and the
provision of special services by the State of Connecticut without
being required to do so by Federal law, it is the intent of
Congress that the State of Connecticut not be required to
otherwise contribute directly to this claims settlement.