Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Padilla Bill to Support Tribal Land Management

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) bicameral and bipartisan bill to promote Tribal management of over 500 acres of land in California by transferring federal land to the Pit River Tribe. Padilla introduced the legislation with Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) last year to protect Tribal communities and local environment in surrounding regions. The late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.-01) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “For generations, senseless conflict and bureaucratic barriers have kept California Tribes from managing their ancestral lands,” said Senator Padilla . “The Pit River Land Transfer Act would ensure the Pit River Tribe rightly acquires their sacred ancestral lands to maintain their traditions and history. This is a critical step in protecting the Pit River Tribe’s community and surrounding ecosystems while honoring the Tribe’s claim to the land.” “I am proud to see our legislation to help the Pit River Tribe restore their ancestral homelands and promote Tribal sovereignty advance out of committee,” said Senator Schiff . “This bill will help the Pit River Tribe manage the Four Corners site as their ancestors did.” “When Senator Padilla introduced the Pit River Land Transfer Act , we spoke of restoring a sacred connection that has endured despite great hardship and dispossession. Today, thanks to Senator Padilla’s leadership, the bill has passed committee and we are one step closer,” said Yatch Bamford, Chairman of the Pit River Nation . “This is more than a transfer of acreage — it is the return of a place where our ancestors are buried, where our ceremonies were born, and where our children’s children will carry our language and traditions forward. On behalf of the Pit River Tribe, I thank Senator Padilla for his continued leadership and unwavering commitment to our people. I urge the Senate to pass our bill without delay so that this long-overdue act of justice can finally be realized.” 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. The Pit River Land Transfer Act would transfer 557 acres of federal land administered by the U.S. Forest Service to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust for the Pit River Tribe. 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, more than 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 Tribal members. Padilla is a strong advocate for restoring Tribal ownership of ancestral lands. Last week, Padilla testified at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing to advocate for critical water investments for California Tribes. 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. ###