US Government Documents related to Indigenous Nations
Congress
115th Congress, 1st Session
Files
Download Full Text (4.1 MB)
Description
This memorandum, dated January 18, 2017, from the United States (US) Department of the Interior (Office of the Solicitor) to the Assistant Secretary of US Indian Affairs and the Director of the US Bureau of Indian Affairs responds to an inquiry requesting an opinion on mineral rights ownership on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The state of North Dakota and the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation submitted competing claims of ownership. The memorandum provides a history of the area, settlement, trade, treaties, the river and its flood and flood control history, the Garrison Dam, and the reasons why each party claims to have mineral rights. Based on this history, the Solicitor provides the opinion that the original bed of the Missouri River within the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation were originally owned by the tribes and are therefore held in trust for the benefits of the tribes as granted by the Mineral Restoration Act of 1984. This document includes several maps and photographs as attachments.
Publication Date
1-18-2017
Keywords
Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Mandan, Nueta, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sahnish, Garrison Dam, Garrison Reservoir, Garrison Reservoir Project, Lake Sakakawea, land back, land transfer, mineral restoration, Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act
Organizations Referenced
Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Mandan, Nueta, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sahnish, Department of the Interior, US Bureau of Indian Affairs
People Referenced
Hilary C. Tompkins
Publisher
Government Printing Office
Recommended Citation
Tompkins, Hilary C., Solicitor, Department of the Interior. Opinion Regarding the Status of Mineral Ownership Underlying the Missouri River within the Boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation (North Dakota) January 18, 2017. https://commons.und.edu/indigenous-gov-docs/145/.
Cultural Institutions Notice
Attribution Incomplete
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate
Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.