US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

25 U.S.C. § 5103

Restoration of lands to tribal ownership

(a)

Protection of existing rights

Provided, howeverProvided furtherThe Secretary of the Interior, if he shall find it to be in the public interest, is authorized to restore to tribal ownership the remaining surplus lands of any Indian reservation heretofore opened, or authorized to be opened, to sale, or any other form of disposal by Presidential proclamation, or by any of the public-land laws of the United States: , That valid rights or claims of any persons to any lands so withdrawn existing on the date of the withdrawal shall not be affected by this Act: , That this section shall not apply to lands within any reclamation project heretofore authorized in any Indian reservation.

(b)

Papago Indians; permits for easements, etc.

(1)
May 27, 1955, ch. 106, § 169 Stat. 67, (2) Repealed. , .
(3)
ProvidedProvided further Water reservoirs, charcos, water holes, springs, wells, or any other form of water development by the United States or the Papago Indians shall not be used for mining purposes under the terms of this Act, except under permit from the Secretary of the Interior approved by the Papago Indian Council: , That nothing herein shall be construed as interfering with or affecting the validity of the water rights of the Indians of this reservation: , That the appropriation of living water heretofore or hereafter affected, by the Papago Indians is recognized and validated subject to all the laws applicable thereto.
(4)
Nothing herein contained shall restrict the granting or use of permits for easements or rights-of-way; or ingress or egress over the lands for all proper and lawful purposes.

June 18, 1934, ch. 576, § 348 Stat. 984Aug. 28, 1937, ch. 86650 Stat. 862May 27, 1955, ch. 106, § 169 Stat. 67(, ; , ; , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

“Heretofore”, referred to in subsec. (a), means before .

act June 18, 1934, ch. 57648 Stat. 984section 5101 of this titleThis Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(3), is , , popularly known as the Indian Reorganization Act, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Codification

section 463 of this titleSection was formerly classified to prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1955—Subsec. (b)(1). Act , repealed par. (1) which restored lands of Papago Indian Reservation to exploration and location.

Subsec. (b)(2). Act , repealed par. (2) which required person desiring a mineral patent to pay $1 per acre in lieu of annual rental.

46 Stat. 1202Subsec. (b)(4). Act , struck out provisions relating to authority to issue or promulgate rules or regulations in conflict with Executive Order of or act of ().

1937—Subsec. (a). Act , designated existing provisions of first par. as subsec. (a).

Subsec. (b)(1). Act , designated existing provisions of first par. as par. (1), substituted “damages shall be paid to the superintendent or other officer in charge of the reservation for the credit of the owner thereof” for “damages shall be paid to the Papago Tribe” and “to be the fair and reasonable value of such improvement” for “but not to exceed the cost of said improvements” and struck out “and payments derived from damages or rentals shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Papago Tribe” after “mining operations,”.

ProvidedProvided furtherSubsec. (b)(2). Act , designated existing provisions of first par. as par. (2), inserted “pay to the superintendent or other officer in charge of the reservation, for” before “deposit”, substituted “, That an applicant for patent shall also pay to the Secretary or other officer in charge of the said reservation for the credit of the owner” for “, That patentee shall also pay into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Papago Tribe” substituted “but the sum thus deposited, except for a deduction of rental at the annual rate hereinbefore provided, shall be refunded to the applicant in the event that patent is not acquired” for “the payment of $1.00 per acre for surface use to be refunded to patentee in the event that patent is not acquired” after “determination by the Secretary of the Interior, but not to exceed the cost thereof”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Act , added par. (3).

Subsec. (b)(4). Act , designated second par. as par. (4).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Papago Indian Reservation

Act May 27, 1955, ch. 106, § 169 Stat. 67

section 1 of the Act of February 21, 193146 Stat. 1202section 3 of the Act of June 18, 193448 Stat. 98425 U.S.C. 461–47925 U.S.C. 5101–51250 Stat. 86225 U.S.C. 46325 U.S.C. 510352 Stat. 347Provided“That the provisions with respect to subjection of mineral lands within the Papago Indian Reservation to exploration, location, and entry under the mining laws of the United States in the Executive order dated , creating the Papago Indian Reservation, and in the third proviso in (), and the provisions of subsection (b)(1) and (2) and of the remainder, following the word ‘purposes,’ of subsection (b)(4) of (; [now 9]), as amended by the Act of August 26 [28], 1937 (, 863; [now ]) [this section], are hereby repealed, all tribal lands within the Papago Indian Reservation are hereby withdrawn from all forms of exploration, location, and entry under such laws, the minerals underlying such lands are hereby made a part of the reservation to be held in trust by the United States for the Papago Indian Tribe, and such minerals shall be subject to lease for mining purposes pursuant to the provisions of the Act of () [sections 396a to 396g of this title]: , That the provisions of this Act shall not be applicable to lands within the Papago Indian Reservation for which a mineral patent has heretofore been issued or to a claim that has been validly initiated before the date of this Act and thereafter maintained under the mining laws of the United States.”
, , provided:

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

64 Stat. 1262Functions of all other officers of Department of the Interior and functions of all agencies and employees of Department, with two exceptions, transferred to Secretary of the Interior, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of those officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. , 15 F.R. 3174, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.