The U.S. has agreed to a $492 million in a settlement with 17 American Indian Tribes ending decades and, in some cases, centuries of disputes between the U.S. government and numerous tribes.
“These historical grievances were a barrier to our shared progress toward a brighter future,” said Attorney General Lynch. “With today’s announcement, those barriers have been removed and decades of contention have been ended honorably and fairly. These settlements reflect the shared vision, the mutual respect and the enduring partnership that we hope to achieve between tribes and the federal government and I look forward to all that we will achieve together in the days to come.”
“Settling these long-standing disputes reflects the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to reconciliation and empowerment for Indian Country,” said Secretary Jewell. “As we turn the page on past challenges in our government-to-government relationship with tribes, we’re moving forward with tribal governments to ensure proper management of tribal trust assets. I commend the Department of Justice, our Interior Solicitors, tribal leaders and other key officials for recognizing the importance of communication and mutual respect, opening a new era of trust between the United States Government and tribal governments.”
The disputes were concerning the United States’ mismanagement of tribal lands, stretching back into our country’s history.
Those treaty responsibilities include agreements dating back to the 1800s that made the U.S. government the trustee for huge swaths of tribal land. The Department of the Interior says it manages almost 56 million acres of land on behalf of tribes, and handles at least 100,000 leases on that land for a wide variety of uses including housing, timber harvest, farming, livestock grazing, oil and gas extraction. More than 250 tribes have some assets held in trust by the federal government.
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Before the Obama administration could turn to the business of settling the 100-plus lawsuits by tribes, it had to resolve a 13-year class-action lawsuit alleging the government failed to pay individual people billions of dollars in profits from land that had been seized from American Indians. A $3.4 billion deal was reached in 2009.
The Obama administration settled more than $1 billion with various tribes back in 2012. As Melody McCoy, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, tells NPR:
The settlements announced Monday are the second round of agreements. McCoy says that since Obama took office, there have been 95 total settlements with tribes, and that 11 more, some of which she handles, are in active negotiation. "It is quite an accomplishment," she says.
While the bar for the American government’s relationship with Native American groups could not be set any lower, President Obama has done far and away the best job at changing the United States’ government’s relationship in regards to our country’s original people.
