Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 1.djvu/867

 PUBLIC LAW 95-395—SEPT. 30, 1978

92 STAT. 813

Public Law 95-395 95th Congress An Act To settle Indian land claims within the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and for other purposes.

Sept. 30, 1978 [H.R. 12860] "

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asembled, That this Act may Rhode Island Indian Claims be cited as the "Ehode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act". CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY

SEC. 2. Congress finds and declares that— (a) there are pending before the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island two consolidated actions that involve Indian claims to certain public and private lands within the town of Charlestown, Rhode Island; (b) the pendency of these lawsuits has resulted in severe economic hardships for the residents of the town of Charlestown by clouding the titles to much of the land in the town, including lands not involved in the lawsuits; (c) the Congress shares with the State of Rhode Island and the parties to the lawsuits a desire to remove all clouds on titles resulting from such Indian land claims within the State of Rhode Island; and (d) the parties to the lawsuits and others interested in the settlement of Indian land claims within the State of Rhode Island have executed a Settlement Agreement which requires implementing legislation by the Congress of the United States and the legislature of the State of Rhode Island.

Settlement Act. 25 USC 1701 note. 25 USC 1701.

DEFINITIONS

25 USC 1702. SEC. 3. For the purposes of this Act, the term— (a) "Indian Corporation" means the Rhode Island nonbusiness corporation known as the "Narragansett Tribe of Indians"; (b) "land or natural resources" means any real property or natural resources, or any interest in or right involving any real property or natural resource, including but not limited to, minerals and mineral rights, timber and timber rights, water and water rights, and rights to hunt and fish; (c) "lawsuits" means the actions entitled "Narragansett Tribe of Indians v. Southern Rhode Island Land Development Co., et al., C.A. No. 75-0006 (D.R.I.)" and "Narragansett Tribe of Indians v. Rhode Island Director of Environmental Management, C.A. No. 75-0005 (D.R.L)"; (d) "private settlement lands" means approximately nine hundred acres of privately held land outlined in red in the map marked "Exhibit A" attached to the Settlement Agreement that are to be acquired by the Secretary from certain private landowners pursuant to sections 5 and 8 of this Act;

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