Washington, DC – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Representative Derek Kilmer, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) reintroduced their bill, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Act of 2023. This bill allows the Puyallup Tribe to move 17 acres of land they own into trust to expand economic growth and restore their ancestral homeland.
“This legislation will spur economic development and infrastructure investments for the Puyallup Tribe.” said Rep. Strickland. “It helps advance their vision for a vibrant, healthy, and working Puget Sound while honoring treaty rights.”
“This legislation will help restore the Puyallup Tribe’s homelands – ensuring the Tribe can continue to diversify and grow economic opportunities and create jobs across our region,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’ll keep working to ensure the federal government fulfills its trust and treaty obligations.”
“The Puyallup Tribe is an economic force and job creator in South Puget Sound. Taking this land into trust allows the Tribe to return to its ancestral homeland and create more jobs in the region,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I look forward to working with our delegation to get this bill signed into law.”
“Our federal government has a duty to give our Tribal communities a fair shake, and that includes ensuring they can benefit from the same opportunities that have helped other communities across Washington state grow and thrive,” said Sen. Murray. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Act which would put into trust some of the Puyallup’s ancestral land and deliver new economic opportunities for the Tribe, it’s members, and the region. As a voice for Washington state Tribes, I’m committed to pushing for more to deliver for all of our Native communities.”
“The Puyallup Tribe greatly appreciates the delegation’s support of the Tribe in our efforts to restore our homeland,” said Chairman of the Puyallup Tribal Council Bill Sterud. “This legislation will help the Tribe diversify its economy and bring critical infrastructure and business to the Tribe’s port development and the entire region.”
U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and is the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.