Sponsors
Last progress December 19, 2025 (1 month ago)
Introduced on January 3, 2025 by Dustin Johnson
1 meeting related to this legislation
Places the specified parcel at Wounded Knee into federal restricted-fee status and requires the Secretary to complete the necessary paperwork and assignments within 365 days of enactment. The land will be governed under Federal Indian‑country law, subject to recorded encumbrances and existing utility/service rights, and must be used only as allowed by the October 21, 2022 covenant between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe — which also bars gaming on the parcel. The measure defines the land and the key terms, assigns responsibility to the named Secretary to finish the transfer and related administrative steps, and preserves existing recorded agreements while imposing the covenant’s use restrictions and the federal restriction against alienation.
Defines “restricted fee status” for the Tribal land: (A) the land remains owned by the Tribes; (B) the land is part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is subject to the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the Oglala Sioux Tribe; (C) the land may not be transferred without the consent of Congress and the Tribes; (D) the land is not subject to State or local taxation; and (E) the land is not subject to any law requiring review or approval by the Secretary of the Interior before the Tribes may use the land as allowed by the document titled and dated October 21, 2022, “Covenant Between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.” (Source: Section 2 Definitions)
Defines “Secretary” to mean the Secretary of the Interior.
Defines “Tribal land” as the approximately 40 acres (including surface, subsurface, mineral estate, and any improvements, structures, and personal property) on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala Lakota County at Rural County Road 4, Wounded Knee, South Dakota, generally depicted on a map dated October 26, 2022, and described as a segment of the December 29, 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre site.
Defines “Tribes” to mean the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, noting they are constituent tribes of the Great Sioux Nation and signatories to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.
Deadline for Secretary: Not later than 365 days after enactment, the Secretary must complete all actions (including required documentation and minor corrections to the survey and legal description) necessary for the Tribal land to be held by the Tribes in restricted fee status.
Primary affected parties
Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe: The tribes named in the covenant receive a change in legal status for the Wounded Knee parcel that strengthens federal protection of the land, brings the parcel under Federal Indian‑country law, and limits permissible use to the covenant’s terms (including a gaming prohibition). This increases tribal legal control and cultural/protective oversight of the site.
Department/Secretary named in the bill (Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs or other designated official): The Secretary must complete administrative, legal, and recording steps to effect the status change and to assign or recognize existing utility and service rights within 365 days. That requires coordination with title/recording offices and possibly the parties holding encumbrances.
Holders of recorded encumbrances and utility/service rights (private owners, municipal utilities, local governments): Existing, recorded agreements and utility rights remain in force; the Secretary must recognize and assign any applicable private or municipal utility and service rights. Those parties retain their recorded interests but may need to engage with federal and tribal authorities to document assignments or continuations.
Local communities and site stakeholders (descendants, preservation groups, visitors): The restricted-fee designation and covenant-based use limits are intended to protect the site’s cultural and historic character and prevent development inconsistent with the covenant (including gaming). That may limit certain economic uses but preserves cultural and historical integrity.
Legal and administrative effects
Potential downstream effects and risks
Overall assessment
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8685)
President of the United States
Updated 18 hours ago
Last progress January 15, 2025 (1 year ago)