Puyallup Tribe Land Claims Settlement

What happened

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989, Public Law 101-41, was signed June 21, 1989. Its findings say disputes over land claims of the Puyallup Tribe, including ownership of the Commencement Bay tidelands and former riverbed, rights-of-way, control of fisheries, and jurisdiction, had harmed community relations and the economy for both the Tribe and non-Indian parties. They recall the Treaty of Medicine Creek of December 1854, in which the tribes ceded most of their territories but reserved certain lands and rights, including fishing rights.

The Act approves, ratifies and confirms an agreement between the Tribe and non-Indian parties. In return for land and other benefits, the Tribe and the United States as trustee relinquish claims to tidelands, submerged lands and other lands in Washington, with listed exceptions such as 12.5 acres of former riverbed confirmed to the Tribe by a 1983 court decision.

The settlement lands go into federal trust for the Tribe. The Act lists parcels of roughly 43.4, 85.2, 72.9 and 5.9 acres, among others, and about 600 acres of open space, forest and cultural lands to be bought with settlement cash. It also directs $24 million into an annuity fund for individual members and $22 million into a permanent trust fund, to the extent provided by appropriations or other parties.

The Act lists its federal sums separately and gives no single total.

Good to know. The Act gives no single acreage or dollar total; some payments depended on appropriations or other parties.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error