A Navajo family whose land is being used by oil and gas companies is seeing increased royalty payments after contacting the Interior Department.

Sam and Esther Valdez have never been told how much oil and gas their land has generated over the past 40 years. Sam Valdez was getting $154 a year from his four allotments, his daughter, Anna Valdez, said. Esther Valdez, who only speaks Navajo, was getting $100 a month.

But after a lawyer contacted the government, the payments have increased to between $600 and $900 a month. Anna Valdez says Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, has opened their eyes to the mismanagement of the trust.

Get the Story:
Standing up for Indian trust rights (The Santa Fe New Mexican 9/4)
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Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm

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