38 



I'd like to have the Honorable Thomas Maulson, the Chairman 

 of Lac du Flambeau Tribe in Wisconsin come up to the table. He 

 will be accompanied by Larry Wawronowicz, Director of the Natu- 

 ral Resources Department. In addition to Hon. Maulson, I'd like 

 Mr. James Schlender, Executive Administrator for Great Lakes In- 

 dian Fish and Wildlife Commission from Odanah, Wisconsin. Mr. 

 Ken Poynter, Executive Director, Native American Fish and Wild- 

 hfe Society, Broomfield, Colorado. Mr. Fred DuBray, Coordinator, 

 Administration for Native American Bison Enhancement Project, 

 Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, South Dakota. 



The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Americsin Samoa and 

 asks him to come and assume the Chair. 



Mr. Maulson. Mr. Chairman, before you go 



[Mr. Maulson distributing gifts.] 



Mr. Richardson. Thank you for the gift. 



Do you wish me to pass it on to the President? 



Mr. Maulson. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Richardson. I think there's some tobacco taxes in his pack- 

 ages. [Laughter.] 



STATEMENT OF HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA 



Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA [presiding] . First of all, I want to express, al- 

 though in his absence, my appreciation for the outstanding leader- 

 ship that the gentleman from New Mexico has imdertaken, and not 

 only for convincing the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Mem- 

 ber of the Committee on Natural Resources that this is a very his- 

 torical moment in the activities of the Committee on Natural Re- 

 sources, that this is the first time that we have now established, 

 in a long time, a specific subcommittee to handle Native American 

 issues. 



I think we've come a long way, and I want to express that feeling 

 for the record, especially to the gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. 

 Bill Richardson, for his initiative and for his leadership in accom- 

 plishing this task. And now we have a subcommittee to address the 

 issues and the needs of our Native American community through- 

 out the country. 



'I also want to express my personal thanks for the gift that has 

 been presented here this morning. 



It's ironic that our Native Americans had originally used tobacco 

 for purposes of a very spiritual ceremony among Native Americans, 

 and that is when the peace pipe is passed. And the purpose of the 

 smoke is to enhance and to give some sense of unity spiritually 

 among the elders when they meet. 



And then when the Europeans got hold of it, they took it in a 

 very different context. Now we're having very serious problems in 

 the health, not only of the members of our country, but certainly 

 throughout the world. 



But the irony of it all is that I think we've imderstood, also from 

 the Native Americans, that tobacco was used to cure the ills of ani- 

 mals. 



But it's ironic that we now have problems of cigarette smoking 

 in our coiuitry in a way that was never intended by the originsQ 

 users of tobacco; it was for a spiritual ceremony. 



