"When the United States supposedly sent $1,000 checks to over 300,000 Indians in time for Christmas or the New Year, the holiday good tidings read: “South Dakota to receive $115M in Cobell monies.” “Cobell settlement brings $25M to Wyoming.” “50,000 Oklahoma Indians to share in $3.4B Cobell settlement.” And my favorite: “Bank floor collapses in rush to cash checks.”

With that holiday hype and new money in Indian hands, it is easy to understand Indian Country’s recent euphoria about the historic $3.4 billion Cobell settlement. Taking full advantage of that newfound goodwill, the Department of the Interior also announced its “Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations” just before Christmas. Backed by $1.9 billion of the Cobell settlement dollars, which Congress disbursed to resolve tribal member historic land and money mismanagement claims against the U.S., Interior announced its plans to now purchase fractionated allotment land for tribal governments. "

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Gabe Galanda: Don't Believe the Land-Consolidation Hype (Indian Country Today 1/29)