American Indian Lawsuit Settled, U.S. Says ($1.4B to more than 300,000 Tribal Members)

[sabra]

Source: CBS News/AP

Interior Department will Distribute $1.4B to more than 300,000 Tribal Members

(AP) The Obama administration says it is settling a long-running and contentious lawsuit over royalties owed to American Indians.

Under an agreement announced Tuesday, the Interior Department will distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 tribe members to compensate them for historical accounting claims, and to resolve future claims.

The settlement resolves a 13-year-old dispute in which Indian tribes claim they were swindled out of billions of dollars in oil, gas, grazing, timber and other royalties overseen by the Interior Department since 1887.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the settlement a historic, positive development for Indian country and a major step to reconcile decades of acrimony between Indian tribes and the federal government.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/08/national/main5937499.shtml?tag=stack

[Unca Jim]

1. Five Grand would be nice...

but it's not enough for what was stolen.

[sofa king]

4. I saw a lot of these cases close up.

If one added in potential interest and investment growth to the money (the Indians' own money) misappropriated by the federal government, it might total $100 billion. It's important to point out that this money was paid to the Indians largely in return for the land which makes up most of the United States outside of the original 13 colonies. I'm sure the tribes would be happy to ring up all those purchases as a no-sale and get the land back today.

But I will say this. It's really impressive to me that the case is nearing a point of resolution, because both the Bush and Clinton Administrations sought to delay this case as long as possible. The Bush Administration simply took the money necessary for the accounting straight of of the BIA's own budget, further degrading the services which really are owed to the tribes. So I'm happy to see something happening, and I'm happy to see President Obama moving quickly to address the concerns of Indian Country so soon after his promise to do so. I hope this is to the tribes' and the individuals' satisfaction.

[Soylent Brice]

2. K&R

[dipsydoodle]

3. Peanuts

They deserve to have at least a few noughts added to that.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Oops, I duped. nt