The purpose of S. 660, as amended, is to provide the Secretary of the Interior with the authority to negotiate an agreement with the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Nations for their interest in the Arkansas River. The background of the bill is that the three Tribes were granted title to a section of the bed of the Arkansas River by treaty and patent in the early 1800s. In the early 1900s, the lands were allotted to individual members of the Tribes. However, the bed and banks of the River were excluded from allotment, reserving title to the Tribes. When Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907, it was assumed that the riverbed belonged to the United States and therefore to the State of Oklahoma. In 1966, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against the State of Oklahoma and various corporations to recover royalties derived from leases and prevent interference with its property rights. The Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation subsequently sought and