Audio: SCIA hearing on crisis created by land-into-trust ruling

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing this afternoon to discuss the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

The Obama administration supports a "clean" fix to the decision, Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk testified. Of the 541 land-into-trust applications that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved since the ruling in February 2009, only three involved casinos, he said.

"This is not about gaming," Echo Hawk told the committee.

The hearing lasted about an hour and 30 minutes. Audio can be downloaded below:
Opening Statements

Panel # 1
Testimony
The Honorable Tom Cole
Congressman, United States House of Representatives

Panel # 2
Testimony | Q&A
The Honorable Larry Echo Hawk Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, United States Department of the Interior

Accompanied by Mr. Donald Laverdure
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs

and Ms. Jodi Gillette
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs,

Panel # 3
Testimony | Q&A
Mr. Richard Guest
Staff Attorney, Native American Rights Fund

Professor Colette Routel
Assistant Professor of Law, William Mitchell College of Law

Mr. William Lomax
President, Native American Finance Officers Association

Professor Carl J. Artman
Professor of Practice, Director, Economic Development in Indian Country Program Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Committee Notice:
OVERSIGHT HEARING on the Carcieri Crisis: The Ripple Effect on Jobs, Economic Development and Public Safety in Indian Country (October 13, 2011)

Supreme Court Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Thomas] | Concurrence [Breyer] | Dissent [Stevens] | Concurrence/Dissent [Souter]

Related Stories:
Witness list for SCIA hearing on fix for land-into-trust 'crisis' (10/11)
Sen. Reed doesn't want land-into-trust fix in appropriations bill (10/5)
Senate Indian Affairs Committee adds land-into-trust fix to bill (7/29)
Cedric Cromwell: Land-into-trust ruling a threat to sovereignty (7/26)
Audio from House subcommittee hearing on land-into-trust fix (7/12)
Witness List: House subcommittee hearing on land-into-trust (7/11)
Subcommittee to hold hearing on land-into-trust fix on July 12 (7/5)
Tribes press for fix to land-into-trust ruling at nation's capitol (06/27)
Witness List: Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on IRA (6/21)
Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on 75 years of IRA (6/13)
Tribes to rally in Washington for fix to land-into-trust ruling (6/7)
Rhode Island governor opposes fix to land-into-trust decision (4/11)
Senate Indian Affairs Committee approves land-into-trust fix (4/8)
Rep. Cole introduces fix to Supreme Court land-into-trust ruling (4/4)
Echo Hawk 'strongly supports' fix to land-into-trust decision (3/31)
Bills introduced to fix Supreme Court land-into-trust decision (3/31)
White House aide vows support for fix to land-into-trust decision (3/1)

Join the Conversation