From left to right: Asst. Principal Chief Raymond Red Corn, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, Tribal Development and Land Acquisition Director Bruce Cass and attorney Terry Mason Moore. Photo from Facebook
The Osage Nation of Oklahoma is preparing for the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. The tribe signed a cooperative agreement with the Interior Department to engage in outreach efforts over the summer. Offers are expected to go out to landowners in August. "In the year 1906, the Osage owned all of the nearly 1.5 million acres of our reservation,” said Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said in a press release. “Today, we have less than 4 percent of the land in Osage ownership. Much of the remaining land is held in fractionated ownership. The Land-Buy Back Program provides an opportunity for the Osage Nation to purchase some of the fractionated interests for complete ownership of land parcels. By having one owner, we can finally determine the highest and best use of the land."
A view of the Osage Nation. Photo from Facebook
Offers are only being extended to owners of parcels in which the tribe already holds a fractional interest, The Osage News reported. About $5 million to $7 million could be made, the tribal land director told the paper. 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. Participation is entirely voluntary. Any land that is acquired will be returned to tribes. As of April 3, DOI has extended $924 million in offers to nearly 49,000 owners. Some $365 million in transactions have been concluded so far, according to a chart posted on the program's website. The equivalent of more than 577,000 acres have been returned to tribal governments as a result of the program. Get the Story:
Osage Nation to begin outreach for Land Buy-Back program (Osage News 5/27)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
Cheyenne River Sioux
Reservation sees $150M in land offers (05/07)Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe prepares for Cobell buy-back offers (04/28)
Navajo Nation signs buy-back cooperative agreement with DOI (04/15)
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation sees $195M in buyback offers (04/06)
Navajo Nation considers agreement for land-buy back program (03/30)
DOI sends another $34M in offers on Rosebud Sioux Reservation (03/24)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeks owners for buy-back program (3/19)
Lummi Nation signs cooperative agreement for Cobell buy-back (03/09)
DOI schedules listening session on buy-back program in Arizona (03/03)
Deadlines approaching for over $100M in land buy-back offers (02/24)
DOI signs land buy-back cooperative agreements with two tribes (01/30)
Osage Nation expects to see $7.4M in Cobell consolidation offers (1/27)
DOI sends $20M in land-buy back offers on Salt River Reservation (01/16)
DOI signs land buy-back agreements with Washington tribes (1/13)
Umatilla Tribes acquire 4K acres with Cobell buy-back program (12/23)
DOI makes $9M in buy-back offers on Coeur d'Alene Reservation (12/17)
DOI sends $1.5M in buyback offers on Squaxin Island Reservation (12/10)
Michael Connor: Making strides with Cobell land buy-back program (12/04)
ICT interview with DOI deputy secretary on Cobell buy-backs (11/21)
DOI issues status report on Cobell land consolidation program (11/20)
DOI official to give update on Cobell land consolidation program (11/19)
DOI expects 30 percent response rate on Cobell buyback offers (10/27)
DOI makes $63.5M in land offers on Lake Traverse Reservation (10/10)
DOI sends $298M in offers to landowners on Crow Reservation (10/6)
Montana tribe expects a second round of Cobell buy-back offers (09/26)
DOI offers $9.4M for Cobell buy-backs on Umatilla Reservation (09/16)
Cobell buy-back program includes base offer of $75 for interests (09/10)
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)
