July 22, 2003
Legislation introduced by Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign to preserve ancestral lands of the Washoe Indian Tribe at Lake Tahoe may soon become law.
The measure, agreed upon by the U.S. Senate on Monday, would convey 24 acres near Skunk Harbor on Lake Tahoe's East Shore to the Washoe Tribe for cultural purposes.
Specifically, the bill, expected to be signed by President Bush, will transfer the U.S. Forest Service land to the Washoe Tribe in the form of a U.S. Interior Department trust.
The legislation was led through and passed the House last week by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. , who called it "long overdue."
Tribal Chairman Brian Wallace said he is pleased to have the support of both houses of Congress.
"This is great news," Wallace said in a statement, thanking Reid, a Democrat, and Ensign and Gibbons, both Republicans. "This is bipartisan legislation and it shows what an effective congressional delegation Nevada has in Washington, D.C. We are very proud of them."
Wallace said once the legislation is signed, the tribe will hold a ceremony at the site with the three lawmakers.
The Washoe Tribe people have worked tirelessly to see this dream become a reality," Reid said in a press statement Monday. "This ancestral land will now be transferred to those who have been stewards of Lake Tahoe for centuries."
Ensign said it is important to all Nevadans to see that the cultural heritage of the land preserved and transferred to those who were the original stewards of Lake Tahoe.
"I look forward to seeing this measure signed into law so that the Washoe Tribe can preserve and protect this precious land," Ensign said.
Gibbons remarked the legislation allows for the tribe to gain back traditions the Washoe practiced at the lake years ago.
"This bill will assure the members of the Washoe Tribe the opportunity to engage in traditional and customary cultural practices on the shore of Lake Tahoe including spiritual renewal, land stewardship, traditional learning, and reunification of tribal and family bonds," Gibbons said.
The land will be conveyed with the expectation that it be used for traditional and customary uses, and stewardship conservation of the Washoe Tribe. It will not permit any commercial use, a specific request of the Washoe Tribe.