Because Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Clifford
Lyle Marshall's recent opinion piece in this
publication addresses matters of importance
not just to his tribe, the Hoopa Valley, but
also mine, the Yurok, I want to set the record
straight.
First, the Yurok Tribe does not agree with
Chairman Marshall's criticism of the
California congressional delegation for being
“unwilling to introduce legislation.” On the
contrary, Sens. Feinstein and Boxer and Rep.
Thompson and their staffs have worked hard
with both tribes to find a realistic basis for
legislation addressing concerns of either or
both tribes. One good candidate for such
legislation is the $3 million for land
acquisition that was long ago appropriated by
the Congress for the Yurok Tribe, but not yet
released.
Although all involved understand that the
Hoopa Valley Tribe has no claim to this money,
Hoopa nevertheless objected to its release and
stymied the helpful efforts of our
congressional delegation. It is not fair for
Hoopa Tribal Chairman Marshall to blame our
congressional delegation for blocking
legislation that the members of Congress would
have supported, but for opposition from the
Hoopa Valley Tribe.
The Yurok Tribe believes that it is not
productive to go back into history and
re-argue issues from litigation long past. The
remaining money in the trust fund created by
the Congress upon passage of the Hoopa Yurok
Settlement Act was expressly created by the
Congress for the Yurok Tribe exclusively.
It is not surprising that the Yurok Tribe
will not, can not, support so-called
compromise legislation when there is no reason
for the Yurok Tribe to “compromise” over what
was already given by an act of Congress to the
Yurok Tribe. Would the Hoopa Valley Tribe
support a “compromise” bill that gives the
Yurok Tribe a portion of the land, or funds it
was given by the Congress as a result of the
Hoopa Yurok Settlement Act? It is not
reasonable to blame our congressional
delegation for not pursuing legislation that
is unbalanced and inconsistent with the
Congress' intent.
I am hopeful that our tribes will find
common ground in the months and years ahead.
The Yurok Tribe will work hard toward this
goal. Together, we can ask the congressional
delegation for help in resolving issues of
continuing concern to both our tribes and our
people. However, that common ground cannot be
a naked attempt by one tribe to take a part of
what Congress gave the other. Until our two
tribes do find such common ground, let us not
blame our representatives in Congress for
inaction.
Howard McConnell is chairman of the Yurok
Tribe.
The opinions expressed in this My Word
piece do not necessarily reflect the editorial
viewpoint of the Times-Standard. |