STATEMENT OF MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 536) to hold in trust for the Cherokee Nation certain Chilocco Indian School lands in Oklahoma upon payment to the United States of $3.75 per acre, submit this statement in explanation of the effect of the language agreed upon and recommended in the accompanying conference report. Amendment No. 1. This amendment reserves to the United States the minerals in the lands to be held in trust for the Indians. Under the House bill the minerals would be included in the trust. The Senate recedes. Amendments No. 2 and No. 4. These amendments provide that title to the lands involved will be conveyed to the Indians, rather than held by the United States in trust for the Indians, and that the title will be subject to no exemption from taxation or restriction on use, management, or disposition because of Indian ownership. The House recedes. Amendment No. 3. This amendment deletes from the conveyance the interest of the United States in 77 acres of land that had previously been conveyed to third parties subject to a reservation to the United States of the minerals in the land and subject to the right of the United States to a reversion of title if the land ceases to be used for public purposes. The House recedes. Amendment No. 5. This amendment makes the conveyance subject to existing rights-of-way. The House recedes. Amendment No. 6. This amendment directs the Indian Claims Commission to determine the extent to which the difference between the value of the title conveyed and the price paid should be set off against any claim against the United States determined by the Committee. The House recedes. 90TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session { REPORT No. 1147 CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 14940 MARCH 5, 1968.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. PEPPER, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. Res. 1082] The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House Resolution 1082, report the same to the House with the recommendation that the resolution do pass. 90TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session } INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION { No. 1150 REPORT MARCH 5, 1968.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. HALEY, from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 876] The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 876) relating to Federal support of education of Indian students in sectarian institutions of higher education, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE The purpose of S. 876, and companion bills introduced by Mr. Edmondson (H.R. 9582) and Mr. Pollock (H.R. 9397), is to permit the use of Federal funds appropriated for the education of Indian students to be used for the education of such students in sectarian institutions of higher learning and in sectarian schools offering vocational and technical training. The use of Federal funds for the education of Indians in elementary and secondary sectarian schools would continue to be prohibited, as at present. NEED A 1917 statute (25 U.S.C. 278) prohibits the use of Federal funds for the education of Indians in any sectarian school. More recent statutes, of general application, authorizing Federal assistance for education in institutions of higher learning are applicable to students attending any qualified sectarian schools. Examples are the student loan program and the graduate fellowship program under the National Defense Education Act (Public Law 85-864), and the program under the Higher Education Act of 1967 (Public Law 89-329). The 1917 statutory limitation with respect to Indians is contrary to the policy 90-760 - 74-39 adopted in the more recent general legislation, is discriminatory, and is interfering with the education of Indian students. 'Most Indian students who want to continue their education in institutions of higher learning or vocational schools come from geographically isolated areas, and they have fewer choices than are available to students living nearer population centers. Moreover, Indian students frequently prefer smaller colleges, better equipped for their needs and with a smaller staff-student ratio. When that college happens to be a sectarian one, the Indian student either fails to enroll or enrolls in a larger school which is not equipped to provide individual attention he needs. Some of the sectarian colleges have given special attention to adjustment problems facing Indians, and they have been successful in retaining Indian students through a 4-year course. If regular Indian education funds were available to assist students who choose to attend those colleges, it is highly probable that more Indians would be enrolled in colleges throughout the country. The bill provides for assistance to the Indian student, and not to the school. Moreover, the bill gives the Indian complete freedom in choosing a school. No opposition to the bill was expressed to the committee. COST The enactment of the bill will involve no additional cost. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT The favorable report of the Department of the Interior is as follows: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, HON. WAYNE N. ASPINALL, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, DEAR MR. ASPINALL: This responds to your request for a report on H.R. 9582, a bill relating to Federal support of education of Indian students in sectarian institutions of higher education, and H.R. 9397, a bill to remove the prohibition on the attendance of Indian scholarship students at sectarian colleges and universities. We recommend the enactment of H.R. 9582. A 1917 act provides "And it is hereby declared to be the settled policy of the Government to hereafter make no appropriation whatever out of the Treasury of the United States for education of Indian children in any sectarian school." H.R. 9582 repeals this quoted provision and restates the law so that it (1) Prohibits the use of Federal appropriations for the education of Indian children in elementary and secondary sectarian schools; and (2) Permits the use of Federal appropriations for the education of Indians in accredited institutions of higher education and in other accredited schools offering vocational and technical training. H.R. 1150 |