§ 1751. Congressional findings

The Congress finds that—

(a) there is pending before the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut a civil action entitled “Western Pequot Tribe of Indians against Holdridge Enterprises Incorporated, et al., Civil Action Numbered H76–193 (D. Conn.),” which involves Indian claims to certain public and private lands within the town of Ledyard, Connecticut;

(b) the pendency of this lawsuit has placed a cloud on the titles to much of the land in the town of Ledyard, including lands not involved in the lawsuit, which has resulted in severe economic hardships for the residents of the town;

(c) the Congress shares with the State of Connecticut and the parties to the lawsuit a desire to remove all clouds on titles resulting from such Indian land claims;

(d) the parties to the lawsuit and others interested in the settlement of Indian land claims within the State of Connecticut have reached an agreement which requires implementing legislation by the Congress of the United States and the Legislature of the State of Connecticut;

(e) the Western Pequot Tribe, as represented as of October 18, 1983, by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, is the sole successor in interest to the aboriginal entity generally known as the Western Pequot Tribe which years ago claimed aboriginal title to certain lands in the State of Connecticut; and

(f) the State of Connecticut is contributing twenty acres of land owned by the State of Connecticut to fulfill this subchapter. The State of Connecticut will construct and repair three sections of paved or gravel roadways within the reservation of the Tribe. The State of Connecticut has provided special services to the members of the Western Pequot Tribe residing within its borders. The United States has provided few, if any, special services to the Western Pequot Tribe and has denied that it had jurisdiction over or responsibility for said Tribe. In view of the provision of land by the State of Connecticut, the provision of paved roadways by the State of Connecticut, and the provision of special services by the State of Connecticut without being required to do so by Federal law, it is the intent of Congress that the State of Connecticut not be required to otherwise contribute directly to this claims settlement.

(Pub. L. 98–134, § 2, Oct. 18, 1983, 97 Stat. 851.)

Codification

Codification

In subsec. (e), “October 18, 1983” substituted for “the time of the passage of this Act”, meaning the date of approval of Pub. L. 98–134.

Short Title

Short Title

Pub. L. 98–134, § 1, Oct. 18, 1983, 97 Stat. 851, provided: “That this Act [enacting this subchapter] may be cited as the ‘Mashantucket Pequot Indian Claims Settlement Act’.”