ENUMERATION OF FEDERAL LANDS ON RESERVATIONS ACQUIRED FROM PRIVATE Acres Purchased from Jonas Hyasman (Q. No. 29). 1. 15 Warranty deed to the United States of America. Approved December 19, 1935. Recorded in Indian Office Deed Book, volume 32, page 172. Purpose: Forestry administration site. Consideration: (Benefit to be accrued by landowner). (Statutory authority and appropriation not known.) Warranty deed to the United States of America. Purchased from Jonas Hyasman (Q. No. 29). Recorded: Indian Office Deed Book, volume 33, page 18. (Statutory authority and appropriation unknown.) Purchased from Ancy Hyasman and Jonas Hyasman (Q. 29). Approved September 9, 1937. Recorded: Indian Office Deed Book, volume 34, page 91. Consideration: $1 and other valuable consideration. .85 2. 31 File reference: L-Adj. 52001-37. (Statutory authority and appropriation not known.) Purchased from heirs of Jonas Hyasman, deceased (Q. 29). Warranty deed to the United States of America. Recorded Portland area office, volume 1, page 85, line 3. Consideration: $25. Purpose: Forestry and road activities. Appropriation: I. M. P. L. Authority: Office letter November 29, 1951. Purchased from heirs of Jonas Hyasman, deceased (Q. No. 29). Warranty deed to the United States of America. Approved October 6, 1955. Recorded Portland area office, volume 1, page 85, line 2. .25 ... 10. 00 Recorded Indian Office, volume 156, page 244, Land Deed Book. Consideration: $1,000. Appropriation: I. M. P. L. Authority: Office letter November 29, 1951. Purchased from heirs of Joseph Edward Martin (Q. No. 814). Warranty deed to the United States of America. Approved March 6, 1935. Recorded Washington Indian Office, volume 32, page 113. Consideration: $40. Purpose: Forest guard cabin site. Appropriation: Indian agency buildings, 1935. Authority: Indian Office letter August 17, 1934-L-S; Indian Office letter, August 17, 1934-L-S 46168-34; and letter, September 28, 1934-L-S 46168-34. Purchased from Hazel Strom (Q. No. 856) 2.00 1.00 Warranty deed to the United States of America. Approved October 27, 1988; reference: "Land Division Acquisition 49113-37." Recorded Grays Harbor County, Wash., on November 26, 1935, book 223, page 497. Consideration: $80. Purpose: Forestry lookout. Appropriation: Unknown. Authority: Indian Office letter January 12, 1928 (Reference P() 74948-37). NOTE-This list covers Federal land under jurisdiction of Bureau of Indian Affairs. There are other Federal lands warh as the Nary acquistion on the Lummi Reservation and Coast Guard on the Quinault Reservation. The transactions are reflected in the tables for those reservationa 7. YAKIMA AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, DEAR SENATOR MURRAY: Attached are two copies of report of transactions involving disposition and acquisition of Indian lands as requested in your letter of April 17. Supporting pertinent material is also attached. Enumeration of Federal lands acquired from private owners since 1930 is not included, since none has been acquired at Yakima. As indicated in the explanation preceding questions in part I, it has been difficult to obtain accurate replies to some of the questions, especially concerning transactions in earlier years. Estimates have been made from calendar-year reports, other special reports, and correspondence in the files. We have thus arrived at fairly accurate figures. A history of tribal-land employment for the past 10 years is not included, since salaries of employees of the Realty Branch have all been paid during these years from tribal funds. Number of employees has increased from 4 to present 10 over the period. Initiation of the tribal land purchase program, increased leasing, and other expanded activities have necessitated increased personnel. Out of a total of 118 employees at the Yakima Agency, 39 are paid from tribal funds. Ten of these, or all of the Realty Branch employees, are concerned with land transactions. Practically all employees of the Forestry Branch are concerned with land transactions with the time spent being the equivalent, or better, of one full-time position. Salary cost would be about 70 percent gratuity and 30 percent tribal. We do feel there is need for better reporting methods and procedures regarding realty transactions, especially at agency level. Action during the past few months has been taken to accomplish this objective in the establishment of a Reports and Control Section in the Realty Branch for this and other purposes. New systems of records and recording are being studied and established. In order that the committee may be better informed regarding the land program at Yakima, we are furnishing the following additional statistics. The Yakimas are presently possessed of vast and valuable landholdings (approximately 1,106,896 acres). Prior to the Yakima Treaty in 1855, these holdings consisted of nearly 11 million acres, or more than 9.5 times the area of the present reservation. The present area of the reservation comprises approximately 1,875 square miles, here the pretreaty area comprised 16,920 square miles. Allotted inds of the reservation comprise approximately 31 percent of the ross area, while tribal lands comprise approximately 69 percent. The tribal lands are largely timbered and grazing. Timbered lands omprise approximately 450,000 acres, and 550,000 acres are grazing ands. Portions of the timbered area are also included in the grazing area. At one time, the gross area of allotted lands comprised approximately 500,000 acres. Approximately 30 percent of the allotted area has been fee patented and is now in non-Indian ownership. Although there has been increased interest in the past few years in sale of Indian lands, we feel the Yakima land-purchase program is proving very effective in retaining such Indian lands in Indian ownership through purchase by the tribe. Following is a tabulation showing the net area of the reservation: Gross area of reservation__ Total... Allotted Tribal Government owned.. Net area--- Attached are copies of a map of the Yakima Reservation.1 1,226, 559 119, 642 1, 106, 917 341, 671 765, 225 21 1, 106, 917 The tribal population of the reservation is 4,600. Of the 4,556 original allotments, there are 3,742 remaining in trust, including 265 public-domain allotments. The major income for individual Indians of the reservation is from timbered lands; approximately $134 million worth of timber was harvested on the reservation during the past year. This timber income from tribal lands, as well as rentals and other income from tribal lands, constitute per capita payments which have been made to tribal members during the past few years. Again the Yakima tribal program and land-purchase program have been very instrumental in retaining key tracts so important to preserving intact timber and grazing units for orderly development, protection, and administration. Another source of substantial income to individual members of the tribe is rentals from these individually owned or allotted lands. This constitutes approximately three-fourths million dollars per annum. It will be noted the Indian people are not farmers. Around 98 families are engaged in stockraising and 117 families in general farming. Livelihood of most of the Indians heretofore has been from fishing at Celilo Falls. This industry was, of course, terminated by construction of the Dalles Dam. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, together with tribal leaders, has been working toward programed expenditure of the more than $15 million settlement for the Dalles Dam to improve the economic status of the tribe which is designed to supplement or replace the former income from fishing. First payments to Yakima tribal members were made this week. As these payments are accelerated, it is expected that sale of tribally purchased lands 1 On file with the committee for reference purposes. (under the land-purchase program) will be substantially increase i thus fulfilling one of the objectives of the said program in resale of these lands to landless Indians. It is anticipated a favorable change in the economy of the Indian people will naturally follow the paymer: of the settlement funds and reinvestment in lands of the Yakima Res ervation. The valley portion of the reservation comprises approximately 131,450 acres of valuable irrigated agricultural lands. Approximately 81,000 acres are still Indian owned. Slightly over 1 percent of the lands are Indian operated. About half of that amount is operated by Indians who own their lands; the other half by Indians who lease and operate lands belonging to other tribal members. The gros income from all agricultural operations within the reservation is in access of $22 million, 1 percent of which is produced by Indians. There are approximately 2,300 farming and farming-pasture leases in force on the reservation. We hope the foregoing, together with the attached information. will fulfill the needs of your committee as far as the Yakima Reservation is concerned. Your interest in the welfare of the Indian people is appreciated. Sincerely yours, QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE DISPOSITION AND ACQUISITION OF INDIAN LANDS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS PART I 1. How many acres were there in tribal ownership on July 1, 1947! There were 760,425 acres. How many acres in trust? There were 1,117,178 acres. How many acres which the tribe had acquired in fee? None. 2. How many acres of trust or restricted land were there in individual Indian ownership on July 1, 1947? There were 356,753 acres. 3. How many transactions, by which tribal or individually owned lands were disposed of (including the placing of unrestricted fee title in the hands of the owners by issuance of patents-in-fee, certificates of competency, etc.), were consummated during each fiscal year since July 1, 1947? 4. How many acres were so disposed of or removed from Bureau urisdiction during each fiscal year since July 1, 1947? Acres 650 1947. 200 520 472 Total 10, 282 1,036 275 5. Give the numbers of transactions for each year which will be shown in answer to No. 3, above, broken down by type of transac ions. All by fee patent or unrestricted deed with exception of: 1956, 2 cancellations of allotments; 1953, 1 cancellation of allotment; 1952, 3 restrictions removed. 6. Give the acres for each year which will be shown in answer to No. 4, above, broken down by type of transaction. All by fee patents or unrestricted deeds with exception of: 1956, 320 acres (cancellations); 1953, 160 acres (cancellation); 1952, 93 acres (restrictions removed). 7. How many transactions, by which tribal or individual Indian lands were acquired, were consummated during each fiscal year since July 1, 1947? None. 8. How many acres were so acquired during each calendar year since July 1, 1947? None. 9. Give the numbers of transactions for each year which will be shown in answer to No. 7 above, broken down by the type of transaction. None. 10. Give the acreages for each year which will be shown in answer to No. 8 above, broken down by the type of transaction. None. 11. How many acres were there in tribal ownership on December 31, 1957? There were 765,225 acres. How many acres held by the United States in trust? There were 1,106,896 acres (including tribal). How many acres which the tribe had acquired in fee? None. 12. How many acres of trust or restricted land were there in indidividual Indian ownership on December 31, 1957? There were 341,671 acres.1 |