Navajo landowners in the Four Corners of the Southwest say they are fed up with the Department of Interior's failure to account for use of their land.

Oil and gas pipelines cross their property but royalty and right-of-way checks are sporadic. One month, they might get paid several hundreds dollars. The next, just a few cents.

Landowners say they are unable to get answers out of Interior. They believe they are being cheated out of millions, a view supported by critics of the department and a court investigator. "Interior's gotten away with whatever they wanted to do," the former director of an office serving Navajo beneficiaries told the Associated Press.

In a report released last August, special master Alan Balaran found that Navajo landowners weren't getting fair market value for use of their land. In response to the report, the department never disputed the figures cited.

Get the Story:
Navajos poor -- their land rich (AP 2/8)

Special Master Report:
SITE VISIT REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MASTER TO THE OFFICE OF APPRAISAL SERVICES IN GALLUP, NEW MEXICO AND THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS NAVAJO REALTY OFFICE IN WINDOW ROCK, ARIZONA (August 20, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Office of Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov

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