Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 49 Part 1.djvu/434

 74 TH CONGRESS. SESS. I. CH. 275. JUNE 19, 1935. 389 attorney or attorneys employed by said Indians, under contract Employment of at- approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Secretary t orney s for Indi ans. of the Interior, and said contract shall be executed in behalf of said Indians by a committee chosen by them under the direction and approval of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior ; verification may be upon information and belief as to the facts alleged ; a true copy of the written contract or contracts by which such attorney or attorneys are employed by said Indians to represent then in such suit or suits shall be filed in said Court of Claims, as their authority by the said attorney or attorneys to so appear in said suit or suits for said Indians and to prosecute their said claim or claims in said Court of Claims. SEC. 4 . That if any claim or claims shall be submitted to said Hearings and se tt le- court it shall hear and settle the equitable and just rights therein, me nt of claims . notwithstanding lapse of time, or statutes of limitations, or the fact that t he said claim o r claims have n ot been present ed to a ny other tribunal, or the fact that said Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska may have been made citizens of the United States by the Act of Congress of June 2, 1924 (43 Stat . L . 253), or by any other law of the Vol. 43, p. 253; U. S. United States, or the fact th at the said Ind ians, o r any o f them, C.,p.173. collectively, prior to the passage and approval of this Act, may have severed their tribal relations with the said Tlingit and Haida Tribes. Any payment which may have been made by the United States or Prior payments. moneys heretofore or hereafter expended to date of award for the benefit,of the said Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska, made under specific appropriations for the support, education, health, and civilization of said Indians, including purchase of lands, shall not be ple aded as an esto ppel but may be pleaded by way of set -off. SEC. 5 . Official letters, apers, documents, and public records, or Public records as certified copies thereof, From the files and records of the United evidence . States, or t he Territory of Alaska, and Russian documen ts and similar records, and historical data and books prepared by American or other standard historians or authors, relating to the subject matter in controversy in said suit or suits, may be used in evidence by either party, and the departments of the United States Gov- ernment shall give the attorneys for both parties access to such pape rs, corr esponde nce, and docume nts as a re in t he files. SEC. 6. The Court of Claims shall appoint at the proper time a Commissioner to tak e te stim ony, etc ., commissioner or commissioners unde r the provisions of t he Act authorized. of February 24, 1925 (43 Stat . L. 964), and Acts supplemental CVol. l 43ap 964;U.S. ther eto, who shall have the aid of a steno grapher to take the te s- timony to be used in the investigation of such claims. In addition to t he prese nt powe rs of su ch comm issioner to tak e such t estimon y, he is hereby authorized to take the testimony of said Alaska Indians witnesses. and their wi tnesses at such place or place s in Al aska as are mos t convenient for said Indians and their witnesses ; that the said Alaska Indians shall produce their witnesses in Alaska at such times and places as said commissioner shall direct, at their own expense, but the expenses of said commissioner and stenographer vol43,p.965. shall be paid by the United States out of the funds provided for such purposes in the said Act of February 24, 1925, and said supplemental Acts. SEC. 7 . That Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska who are Indians entitled t o entitled to share in any judgment or appropriation made to pay s Ante npu38ment. said claim or claims shall consist of all persons of Tlingit or Haida blood, living in or belonging to any local community of these tribes in the territory described in section 1 of this Act. Each tribal Tribal roll to be pre. community shall prepare a roll of its tribal membership, which pared. roll shall be submitted to a Tlingit and Haida central council for