FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                  FOR MORE INFORMATION:

January 20, 2010                                                                                             Marcus Levings, TAT Chairman

                                                                                                                        701-421-0484

                                                                                                                        Charles Murphy, SRST Chairman

                                                                                                                        701-854-8505

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Three Affiliated Tribes leadership gather to discuss Joint Tribal Advisory Committee (JTAC) II

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Three Affiliated Tribes leadership gathered at the Prairie Knights Casino meeting rooms today to discuss the possibility of working together on a Joint Tribal Advisory Committee (JTAC) II Settlement for both North Dakota Tribes located along the Missouri River of North Dakota.  Both Tribes were affected in the 1950s by the creation of the Garrison and Lake Oahe Dams which flooded several thousands of acres of land through each of the Standing Rock Sioux and Fort Berthold Reservations – forcing several landowners, both Indian and non-Indian to move from their homelands to higher grounds.

Plans for further discussion are in the works by both Chairman Marcus Levings of the Three Affiliated Tribes and Charles Murphy, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman to address the issues with Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Both chairmen were accompanied by members of their respective Tribal Business Councils.

In accordance with the Garrison Unit Joint Tribal Advisory Committee established on May 10, 1985 which was established by the Secretary of the Interior, the committee’s role was three-fold:

A) to examine and make recommendations with respect to the effects of the impoundment of waters under the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program (Oahe and Garrison Reservoirs)
B) to study their impact on the Fort Berthold and Standing Rock Reservations
C) to replace what was destroyed by the creation of the two dams. The committee was authorized and directed to examine and make recommendations to the following issues:

• Full potential for irrigation
• Financial assistance for on-farm development costs
• Development of shoreline recreation potential
• Return of excess lands
• Protection of reserved water rights
• Funding of all items from the Garrison Diversion Unit funds, if authorized
• Replacement of infrastructures lost by the creation of the Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea, the Oahe Dam and Lake Oahe
• Preferential rights to Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Power
• Additional financial compensation, and Other items the committee deemed important (JTAC -Executive Summary, 1985)

The substance of the JTAC Report provided the initiative for the Three Tribes to seek legislation for additional economic and financial recovery funds. The tribe's efforts continued until 1992, with the assistance of the state's Congressional delegation.  As a result, Congress, in 1992, passed Public Law 102-575 providing $142.9 million in economic recovery funds to the Three Affiliated Tribes.  The fund, known as the Economic Recovery Fund, was to be used for education, economic development social welfare and other needs.  Only the interest could be expended.

Presently, there are certain items that have not been fulfilled or met completely by Congress.  Both Tribes are discussing revisiting the issues that have not been addressed and they are also discussing the possibility of JTAC II and other options, which would address those issues and additional items that have not been completely met which were originally promised to both Tribes.