Interior Secretary Sally Jewell speaks with leaders of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on August 20. She is pictured here with Chairman Ron Trahan, right, and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana). Photo from Sen. Tester / Facebook
The Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations hopes to encourage landowners to sell their interests by offering a base payment of $75. Many Indian beneficiaries are receiving high offers based on the "fair market" value of their land. But on the other end of the spectrum, one person's interest on the Flathead Reservation in Montana was appraised at just 52 cents. “That’s because the land was so fractionalized, and they only own mineral rights,” Carolee Wenderoth, who works for the land title records office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, told The Missoulian. Wenderoth said the base payment brings the offer for that particular owner to $75.52. “It’s a small incentive to make the transaction happen,” she told the paper. Overall, the Interior Department made $8.3 million in offers to landowners on the reservation. Responses are due October 24. The $3.4 billion Cobell settlement provided $1.9 billion for Indian landowners who want to sell their fractionated interests. DOI will pay "fair market value" as required by the Indian Land Consolidation Act. Since the program started last winter, DOI has successfully concluded $103 million in transactions. Nearly 265,000 acres have been transferred to tribal governments. Get the Story:
Government makes buyback offers to 2,100 Flathead Reservation landowners (The Missoulian 9/10)
Offers Mailed Out To Flathead Indian Reservation Landowners (ABC News 9/9)
Tribes are in ‘age of cooperation’ (The Ronan Valley Journal 9/10)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
DOI expands Cobell buy-back program to four more
reservations (9/8) Gila River Indian Community to see $77.6M from Cobell buy-back (08/29)
DOI extends $100M in Cobell buy-back offers on two reservations (8/28)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes see $7.4M for buyback (08/21)
Deadline approaches for buyback on Rosebud Sioux Reservation (08/05)
Audio from House subcommittee hearing on five tribal measures (07/29)
Jay Daniels: Land consolidation program isn't really working (07/22)
Cobell buy-back agreements come with little money for tribes (07/17)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe signs agreement for Cobell buy-back (07/16)
DOI enters Cobell land buy-back agreements with Montana tribes (07/09)
Rep. Daines introduces bill for tribal control of Cobell buy-back (07/03)
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)
