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Jay Daniels
Jay Daniels takes issue with the handling of the $1.4 billion Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations that was authorized by the $3.4 billion Cobell trust fund settlement:
Well, now we are finally in the midst of the Cobell Land Buy Back Program (“LBBP”) implementation, I’m wondering “did anything really happen? Cobell settled for $3.4 billion, including stipends for the lead plaintiffs, $1.9 billion for the LBBP to be used by tribes to acquire “highly fractionated interests” in individual Indian lands, attorney and consultant costs capped at $100,000 million, and $1.4 billion to Individual Indian Monies account owners. Wow, $3.4 billion was awarded and a maximum of $1.4 billion be distributed to the class members and now turning into a when will it actually happen. Individual Indians are having carrots dangled in front of them only to have it jerked back and rescheduled. It sounds like a crazy concept that a class action agreement awards a settlement payment only to have a portion of the funds given to another entity to “buy away” their problem using their money award. Is anyone really that gullible? This has going on for years and continues. But, you need to know that in the background, nothing really changes. You can put a suit on a puppet, but it’s still a puppet. The following is a must read to understand how this process is playing out. The Fort Peck Tribal Land Committee Chairman Grant Stafne expressed his concern that the Office of the Special Trustee’s Fiduciary (“OST”) Trust Officer(“FTO”) got his land sale approved so fast and brings up a question of conflict of interest. Another Tribal Councilman said it takes three months to a year to get an appraisal. He felt that there was an appearance of “cronyism.”Get the Story:
Jay Daniels: Land Buy Back Program: Did anything really happen? (Roundhouse Talk 7/17) Related Stories:
Cobell buy-back agreements come with little money for tribes (07/17)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe signs agreement for Cobell buy-back (7/16)
Garden City Group executive ties Cobell payment delay to DOI (7/16)
Garden City Group executive to testify at SCIA's Cobell hearing (7/15)
DOI enters Cobell land buy-back agreements with Montana tribes (07/09)
Chuck Sams: Umatilla Tribes sign Cobell land-buy back agreement (07/09)
Rep. Daines introduces bill for tribal control of Cobell buy-back (07/03)
Indian Land Tenure Foundation hosts seminar on Cobell lawsuit (07/01)
SDPR: Buy-back program offers $50M on Rosebud Reservation (06/27)
DOI sends out $50M in buy-back offers on Rosebud Reservation (6/25)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes waiting on appraisals (06/19)
Coeur d'Alene Tribe waiting on appraisals for Cobell buy-back (06/13)
DOI allocates $4.1M on Cobell buy-back for Coeur d'Alene Tribe (6/11)
DOI plans to spend $12M in buy-back funds for Umatilla Tribes (6/10)
Lawmakers want tribes to run Cobell land buy-back program (6/6)
DOI enters Cobell buy-back agreements with three more tribes (05/29)
DOI sets agenda for Cobell buy-back listening session on May 29 (05/23)
DOI extends Cobell buy-back program on Pine Ridge Reservation (5/20)
DOI looks to spend $100M on Navajo Nation for Cobell buy-back (5/19)
DOI targets 21 reservations for next phase of Cobell buy-back (5/16)
DOI to announce next steps for Cobell land buy-back program (5/14)
DOI extends $1.6M buyback offers for Makah Nation landowners (05/09)
DOI to hold listening session on Cobell land buy-back program (04/30)
DOI looks to spend $2.55M on Makah Nation land buy-back (04/21)
Ten reservations account for biggest share of Cobell buyback (04/17)
DOI extends $1.2M in offers to Makah Reservation landowners (04/15)
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate reach agreement for Cobell buy-back (04/08)
Rep. Young open to an extension for Cobell buy-back program (4/4)
Audio from House subcommittee hearing on Cobell land buyback (4/3)
Larry Roberts: Answers about the Cobell land buy-back program (4/3)
DOI makes transfer of nearly $580K into Cobell scholarship fund (4/2)
Members of Oglala Sioux Tribe respond to Cobell buyback offers (3/28)
House subcommittee to hold hearing on land buy-back program (03/24)
DOI land buy-back boosts economy on Pine Ridge Reservation (03/19)
DOI announces $100M in land offers on Pine Ridge Reservation (3/18)
Deadline approaches for first Cobell land consolidation offers (1/27)
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