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TESTIMONY 



OF 



THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE WARM SPRINGS RESERVATION OF OREGON 



CONCERNING 



NATIONAL INDIAN FISH AND WILDLIFE LEGISLATION 



United States House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, 



Subcommittee on Native American Affairs 



Washington, D. C. 



February 18, 1993 



Good morning, Congressman Richardson and members of the Committee. 

 My name is Nelson Wallulatum, and I am Chief of the Wasco Tribe 

 and a lifetime member of the Tribal Council of The Confederated 

 Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. I am here today 

 to testify on behalf of the Warm Springs Tribal Council concerning 

 the proposal to enact national Indian fish and wildlife 

 legislation. In our view, there are several things that national 

 Indian fish and wildlife legislation should do, and several things 

 it should not do. First, let me tell you what the legislation 

 should not do. 



The legislation should not try to define or interpret treaty- 

 reserved fishing and hunting rights. The circumstances of each 

 tribe and each treaty are unique. Few legal principles can be 

 applied across the board to all tribes and all Indian treaties. 

 Broad legislative characterizations about the nature of all Indian 

 treaty rights are very likely to misconstrue some treaty rights. 



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