URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archives/000940.asp

Thursday, August 21, 2003

An independent review of the Department of Interior's appraisal practices will find that leasing Navajo lands for less than market value is "reasonable and appropriate," a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"This is clearly another faulty and biased report from the special master," Interior spokesperson Dan DuBray told The Washington Post.

The special master in the Indian trust fund lawsuit released a report yesterday detailing how the appraisal process for rights-of-way on allotments belonging to individual Navajo tribal members. The Bureau of Indian Affairs allowed oil and gas companies to pay the allottees 20 times less than what private and even tribal-owned land got for their land.

The BIA's appraisal function was transferred to the Office of Special Trustee in early 2002. The Bush administration is considering consolidating appraisals to a new department-wide entity.

Get the Story:
Report Finds Oil Firms Paid Indians Less for Land (The Washington Post 8/21)

Get the 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
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org
Office of Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov

Related Stories:
Court master releases report on Navajo appraisals (8/20)
Swimmer weighs consolidation of appraisals (8/15)
Norton admits Interior hid facts from Congress (7/24)
Navajo trust fund manager targeted in internal probe (07/15)
Indian employees challenging DOI reorganization (06/03)
Navajo leaders criticize upheaval at trust fund office (05/09)
Confusion detailed at Interior (10/16)
DOI land swap program to be reviewed (10/11)
Norton land deal subject of dispute (10/01)
DOI approved $100M land 'giveaway' (8/19)

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