The final act ending federal supervision over Klamath Indian tribal property has been completed in Washington, D. C. with signing of the Klamath Termination Proclamation by the Acting Secretary of the Interior, James K. Carr.
Robert D. Holtz, director of the Portland area, Bureau of Indian Affairs, said today that Under Secretary Carr signed the proclamation on behalf of Secretary Stewart Udall who was away from the capital.
The proclamation is effective Sunday, August 13.
It provides that hereafter individual members of the Klamath tribe shall not be entitled to any of the services performed by the United States for Indians because of their status as Indians. It also stipulates that statutes of the United States which affect Indians because of their status as Indians shall no longer apply to tribal members, except for participation in certain claims yet to be adjudicated. In addition, the tribal members shall hereafter be subject to state laws.
Financial aspects of the termination were completed with more than $75,000,000 distributed to the withdrawing members to pay them for their share of the Klamath tribe's assets. The payments averaged about $45,300 each.
The Klamath termination act brings to an end 96 years of federal control and supervision of the tribe, which has its headquarters in southern Oregon.
