Bipartisan Padilla Bills Supporting 2,000+ Acres of Tribal Land Management Considered in Senate Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on two of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla's (D-Calif.) bipartisan bills to promote Tribal management of over 2,000 acres of land in California. The Committee considered his legislation to transfer federal land to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and the Pit River Tribe. Padilla introduced these bills with Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) last year to protect tribal communities and local environment in surrounding regions.

Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act

This bill would transfer 1,475 acres of land from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in exchange for 1,460 acres of land the Tribe already owns. Representative Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.-23) is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, formerly known as the San Manuel Band of Indians, is a federally recognized Native American Tribe of Serrano people. Their reservation is located in San Bernardino County, California, and their people have lived in the San Bernardino Mountains and surrounding areas for thousands of years.

For years, the Tribe has been working toward a land exchange with the Forest Service, which would enable them to acquire lands that were once home to a Tribal village known today as Arrowhead Springs. The Tribe has gone through the administrative process to transfer this land, but it has been time consuming and expensive, costing over $5 million, including for purchasing multiple parcels of land in the San Bernardino National Forest and for other expenses associated with the land exchange. This legislation would facilitate this land transfer to allow the Tribe to manage their ancestral lands.

Full text of the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act is available here.

Pit River Land Transfer Act

This bill would transfer 584 acres of federal land administered by USFS to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust for the Pit River Tribe. The late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.-01) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Pit River Tribe consist of 11 autonomous bands traditionally inhabiting the area surrounding the Pit River and its tributaries. They are known for their deep spiritual connection to the land, with a rich cultural heritage centered around fishing, hunting, and seasonal gatherings.

The proposed land to be transferred is known as the Four Corners Property, located in Shasta County. The Tribe has strong cultural and historical connections to the Four Corners, and they view it as a central landmark of their ancestral lands. In October 1970, members of the Tribe erected a Quonset hut on the Four Corners, staking a peaceful, yet firm claim. That month, over 100 sheriff's deputies, federal marshals, and forest rangers ordered the occupants to evacuate the property, which eventually resulted in violence and the hospitalization of several of the Tribal members.

The Tribe has been actively trying to acquire this land through various governmental processes for over a decade. However, they have experienced a series of delays that have added years to the process.

Full text of the Pit River Land Transfer Act is available here.

Padilla is a strong advocate for restoring Tribal ownership of ancestral lands. In 2024, the Senate passed Padilla's Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, which established over 170 acres as trust lands for the benefit of the Jamul Tribe. Under the Biden Administration, a series of Padilla's bills to restore tribal stewardship of sacred lands and ensure federal land management laws respected Tribal sovereignty were signed into law. The package included laws to take more than 2,500 acres of land in the San Jacinto Mountains into trust for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and to place roughly 1,000 acres of federal land located in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties into trust for the Karuk Tribe.

###