Senate Approves Legislation to Transfer Death Valley Land to Timbisha Shoshone Tribe
July 24, 2000

Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate last week approved legislation, sponsored by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and cosponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), to transfer 7500 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in and around Death Valley National Park to the Timbisha Shoshone Indian Tribe.

“The Timbisha Shoshone have lived in the Death Valley area for thousands of years,” Senator Feinstein said. “However, when Death Valley National Park was created in 1933, the Timbisha Shoshone were kicked of their ancestral land and left without a home.”

“This legislation formally recognizes the contributions made by the tribe to the history and culture of Death Valley,” Feinstein continued. “It is time to rectify the loss suffered by the Timbisha Shoshone with the restoration of their right to live on their homeland.”

This bill transfers five separate parcels of land to the Timbisha Shoshone. One of the parcels is located within Death Valley National Park, where 45 members of the tribe currently reside. The other four parcels are located outside the park and were selected because they each have historical significance to the tribe.

The legislation was inspired by a study conducted by the Department of Interior, which identified lands suitable for a reservation. The California Desert Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Feinstein, called for this study.