Obama Admin to pay Navajo Nation $554 million in largest settlement with single Indian tribe

[kpete]

In the largest settlement with a single American Indian tribe, the Obama administration will pay the Navajo Nation $554 million to settle claims that the U.S. government has mismanaged funds and natural resources on the Navajo reservation for decades.

The settlement, to be signed in Window Rock, Ariz., on Friday, resolves a long-standing dispute between the Navajo Nation and the U.S. government, with some of the claims dating back more than 50 years.

The sprawling Navajo reservation, located in parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, is the largest and most populous Indian reservation, with 14 million acres of trust lands, which are leased for farming, grazing, and oil, gas and other mineral extraction. The land is also leased for businesses, rights-of-way, easements and housing.


“This landmark resolution ends protracted and burdensome litigation,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement provided to The Washington Post on Wednesday. “This demonstrates the Justice Department’s firm commitment to strengthening our partnerships with tribal nations.”

MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-to-pay-navajo-nation-554-million-in-largest-settlement-with-single-indian-tribe/2014/09/24/4dc02cc6-434e-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html

[jaysunb]

1. It's about time !

And I pray the folks in Congress can't have a say.

[Cha]

2. Mahalo President Obama... "Obama Admin to pay Navajo Nation $554 million in largest settlement

with single Indian tribe."!

And AG Holder.. from your link..

“This landmark resolution ends protracted and burdensome litigation,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement provided to The Washington Post on Wednesday. “This demonstrates the Justice Department’s firm commitment to strengthening our partnerships with tribal nations.”

Thank you, kpete~

[Stellar]

17. hear, hear!

[sheshe2]

3. KnR!

Bravo!

[niyad]

4. I am wondering how much the original claim was--did not see it anywhere in the linked story.

[sybylla]

10. It's "claims," not claim. Which makes it difficult to enumerate in an article.

I'm guessing the reporter was too lazy to hunt the total number down.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

5. The headline is a bit deceiving

in that the current administration is righting a whole slew of wrongs. This makes it seem like he decided one day to just give away the money............

[DustyJoe]

6. About time

It should go a long way to promote tribal independance and help finance some of the tribes newest business ventures.

For years Navajo Mine has provided coal to the Four Corners Power Plant and while the land and coal belonged to the Navajo Nation, the equipment and personnel did not.

That changed Thursday when BHP Billiton and the Navajo Transitional Energy Company LLC, or NTEC, signed an $85 million purchase agreement.

.
http://www.daily-times.com/four_corners-news/ci_24427263/purchase-agreement-signed-navajo-mine

[G_j]

7. that is a major deal

now I wonder who will deal with the environmental degradation?

[Omaha Steve]

8. First Americans....

[BrotherIvan]

9. Just wow

What a photo.

[Zorra]

11. Sounds good, but due to past US govt--Tribal relations, I can't help wondering

"OK, what's the catch?"

[Beowulf42]

12. WTF?

Once again I object to the phrasing of the headline. The U.S. government is responsible for the fact that they cheated Native American tribes over and over again. This isn't the first time they have paid certain tribes for the wrong doings of officials. Exactly what does Obama have to do with it?

[Orrex]

13. The OP refers not to Obama himself but to the Obama Admin(istration)

This part of the article seems relevant:

In April 2010, Obama administration officials, including then-Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, met with the attorneys and started a settlement process.

Way to spot the dark cloud within the silver lining.

[1dogleft]

18. He is a Hero

for overseeing this. Stop being such a Hater

[kelliekat44]

22. But believe me, if there is anything negative to report it will read "Obama" for the "President." n

[BumRushDaShow]

14. One major obstacle

will be Congress and appropriating the funds. It took a few years before the adminstration was actually able to cut a check for the Pigford II settlement (after the courts and USDA approved it) because jackass Coburn kept blocking the unanimous consent in the Senate to pass the House bill that authorized the spending and allocated the funds (the House had approved the settlement).

[maindawg]

15. Sad but true

The American Indian knows that every thing the white man does is a lie. All they really want is their sovereign right to exist as equal peoples. The American Indian is to this day a prisoner of war. They do not enjoy the same rights that Americans are guaranteed. They do not have any rights. They are sovereign nations and deserve equal rights. They are also the victims of deadly racism and hate crimes. To this day, they are portrayed unfairly and deionized, denounced as lazy etc by the fascist bureaucracy that lives fat on the myths and the racism.
The Navaho understand that they will never see this money. This is a moral victory. This is a lame duck gesture. Obama is the man.

[1dogleft]

19. That's a lot

of fancy talk for what amounts to pure buffalo sh*t

[SylviaD]

16. Should be $5.54 billion. n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

21. It is, however, a start.

[SylviaD]

23. Of course. n/t

[drynberg]

20. I hope this is settled and paid soon, and that a certain % of the settlement could go into a fund to

Pay for suits of other tribes, as a loan. Y'know, solidarity.