To amend the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow certain land to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Hastings, Chairman Young, Ranking Member Markey, and Ranking Member Boren for working with me in the Natural Resources Committee to help address the many issues impacting Indian Country and the tribes I represent in New Mexico. I also want to recognize the hard work of the superintendent of Santa Fe Indian School and former governor of Kewa Pueblo, Everett Chavez, and former AIPC president and former NCAI president Joe Garcia on this bill. They worked with the pueblos and the All Indian Pueblo Council to support this legislation, which will help Santa Fe Indian School and New Mexico's 19 pueblos achieve educational sovereignty for Native American students across New Mexico.

Santa Fe Indian School and the 19 pueblos approached my office early last year seeking the introduction of a technical change to the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow certain lands designated to the school to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic and cultural programs at the Indian school. Knowing the importance of what Santa Fe Indian School provides to Native American students in New Mexico, I was very interested in their approach to move toward true financial independence and educational sovereignty for Santa Fe Indian School and its students.

I want to point out the importance of sovereignty and what it means for our tribal brothers and sisters to be able to provide a quality education for their own children. Education is truly empowering, especially when Native American students are able to get an education that embraces their cultural and traditional identities--and that is the type of education Santa Fe Indian School provides.

I worked with Superintendent Chavez and Santa Fe Indian School to draft a bill that would make a technical amendment to allow the school to explore economic opportunities so that students at the Indian school can attain the best possible education and to be able to support their mission. Santa Fe Indian School provides a challenging, stimulating, and nurturing learning environment that shares educational responsibility with Native communities, parents, and students to develop the students' true potential to meet obligations to themselves and their tribal communities.

In this time of financial uncertainty and the limitations of the Federal Government to assist in Federal education programs, it is so important to give Santa Fe Indian School the tools they need to help their students receive a quality education regardless of the climate in Washington. H.R. 1556 would achieve that goal. I'm proud to be able to assist the Santa Fe Indian School in amending the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow the school to achieve new heights in educating Native American students. This technical amendment will help make the school more self-sufficient and create greater opportunities for students attending the Indian School by ensuring the financial capability to maintain and expand the level of academic and cultural education for Native American students.

This is a commonsense bill that will help Native American students in New Mexico, and I urge the support of my colleagues. I thank the chairman for his support as well.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1556, which amends the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow land taken into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic programs and other purposes of the Sante Fe Indian School. I am proud to co-sponsor the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act, and I thank my colleague, Congressman Lujan for introducing this legislation.

As a member of the Native American Caucus, addressing the needs of Native Americans is of great importance to me. California is home to over one hundred federally recognized tribes and it is my belief that these tribes deserve the right to use land to fund academic programs for the advancement of their citizens.

This legislation will allow eligible tribes to promote self- determination and economic self-sufficiency by allowing the land taken into trust under section 823(a) to be used solely for the educational, health, or cultural purposes and economic development projects that provide funding for such purposes.

The Sante Fe Indian School has a Community-Based Education Program that is seen nationwide as a model of instructional innovation. The over 700 students that attend the Sante Fe Indian School, are able to participate in a constructive learning environment with new dormitories, new classrooms, and student activity centers. Sante Fe Indian School graduates are given an effectual education and past graduates have received over $800,000

in scholarship assistance to schools such as Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Notre Dame. Not only are students of the Sante Fe Indian School able to enter into the competitive environment of college admissions, but students are also equipped with a knowledge to better understand the issues facing tribes in the Southwest to one day be able to return to these communities to contribute positively to the infrastructure that is necessary for continued growth.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1556 to allow Native American tribes the opportunity to continue to improve the educational programs and environment for these students. Native Americans should be afforded the opportunity to raise funds for their educational pursuits and become actively involved in the economic development and constructive use of their land.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1556) to amend the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow certain land to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, established in the late 1800s, is a Federal off-reservation boarding school for the 19 pueblo governors of New Mexico. On December 20, 2000, Public Law 106 568 transferred 115 acres of property to the school with certain limitations. H.R. 1556 would allow the Santa Fe Indian School to use its 115 acres of land for economic development. The bill will retain the prohibition on Indian gaming on the transferred land.

I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.