Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail Feasibility Study

Floor Speech

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Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 810) to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 810

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. CHIEF STANDING BEAR NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY.

Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(xx) Chief standing bear national historic trail.--The Chief Standing Bear Trail, extending approximately 550 miles from Niobrara, Nebraska, to Ponca City, Oklahoma, which follows the route taken by Chief Standing Bear and the Ponca people during Federal Indian removal, and approximately 550 miles from Ponca City, Oklahoma, through Omaha, Nebraska, to Niobrara, Nebraska, which follows the return route taken by Chief Standing Bear and the Ponca people.''.
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Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 810, introduced by Representative Fortenberry from Nebraska, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail.

The proposed trail would extend approximately 550 miles from Niobrara, Nebraska, to Ponca City, Oklahoma, tracing the route taken by Chief Standing Bear and the Ponca people during Federal Indian removal and their return to Nebraska.

The trail would commemorate and elevate the story of Chief Standing Bear, including the trial and historic 1879 court case where he became the first Native American to be recognized as a person in a Federal court.

The trail would memorialize the courage, honor, and fortitude of Chief Standing Bear and the Ponca people as they struggled to return to their homeland to bury the son of Chief Standing Bear--serving as a reminder of their fight to achieve justice, freedom, and equality.

I would like to thank Representative Fortenberry for championing this important legislation and for his efforts to bring about a greater understanding of our U.S. history and Tribal sovereignty.

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Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I wholly support this bill, and I thank the leadership of Mr. Fortenberry from Nebraska and the ranking member, Mr. Westerman from Arkansas.

This is a fitting honor for human rights and Tribal sovereignty. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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