To provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateReported by Ms. Murkowski, without amendment
Passed Senate (inferred from es version)
Mr. Mullin (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
S. 550 creates a one-year window for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to file land claims in federal court related to the 1805 Treaty of Grouseland. The bill waives normal legal deadlines and procedural defenses that would typically block these historic claims. However, it simultaneously extinguishes all other land claims the Tribe might have to land in Illinois, both now and in the future.
Who Benefits and How
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma gains a unique legal opportunity to pursue land claims under the Treaty of Grouseland that would otherwise be blocked by statutes of limitations. By waiving time-based defenses, the Tribe gets access to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to argue their treaty rights. Legal services firms specializing in Native American treaty law will benefit from the immediate need for sophisticated legal representation during the one-year filing window.
Current landowners in Illinois benefit by gaining certainty about property rights. The one-year deadline and extinguishment of all other claims means they face a limited, time-bound exposure to potential land disputes rather than ongoing uncertainty.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Miami Tribe members with land claims in Illinois that aren't covered by the Treaty of Grouseland face a permanent loss. The bill extinguishes their ability to ever file those claims, including claims that might exist under other treaties or legal theories. Future generations of the Tribe are also barred from pursuing these claims.
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims must handle potentially complex and historically significant treaty litigation involving land claims dating back over 200 years. This creates additional judicial workload during the one-year window.
Key Provisions
- Grants the U.S. Court of Federal Claims exclusive jurisdiction to hear Miami Tribe land claims under the 1805 Treaty of Grouseland
- Waives the statute of limitations and all delay-based defenses for these specific claims
- Creates a one-year deadline from the bill's enactment for the Tribe to file claims, after which the special jurisdiction expires
- Permanently extinguishes all other land claims by the Miami Tribe, its members, descendants, or predecessors to any land in Illinois
- Applies only to land in the State of Illinois
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a limited window for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to file land claims in federal court regarding land in Illinois under the 1805 Treaty of Grouseland, while extinguishing all other present and future claims
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Creates a narrow pathway for resolving historic treaty-based land claims while establishing finality by extinguishing all other claims"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Miami Tribe of Oklahoma (gains jurisdiction waiver and forum for treaty claims)
- Current Illinois landowners (gains certainty through claim extinguishment)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Miami Tribe members with claims outside the Treaty of Grouseland framework
- Future generations of Miami Tribe (prohibited from filing claims after deadline)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_court"
- → United States Court of Federal Claims
- "the_tribe"
- → Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The federally recognized Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and its members, descendants, or predecessors in interest
Treaty with the United States of America signed at Grouseland August 21, 1805 (7 Stat. 91)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology