US pays Navajo Nation $554m for mishandling resources held in trust

[umbertino]

‘Historic’ settlement resolves claims made over the past 50 years about mismanagement of Navajo trusts

 

 

• Reuters in Los Angeles
•  
• theguardian.com, Thursday 25 September 2014 00.44 EDT

 

 

The Obama administration has agreed to pay the Navajo Nation a record $554m to settle longstanding claims by the largest native American tribe that its funds and natural resources were mishandled for decades by the US government.

 

The accord, resolving claims that date back as far as 50 years and marking the biggest US legal settlement with a single tribe, will be formally signed at a ceremony on Friday in Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the sprawling Navajo reservation.

 

The deal stems from litigation accusing the government of mismanaging Navajo trust accounts and resources on more than 14m acres (5.7m hectares) of land held in trust for the tribe and leased for such purposes as farming, energy development, logging and mining.

 

In return for the money, the Navajo agreed to dismiss its lawsuit and forgo further litigation over previous US management of Navajo funds and resources held in trust by the federal government.

 

The deal does not preclude the tribe from pursuing future trust claims, or any separate claims over water and uranium pollution on its reservation, Navajo attorney general Harrison Tsosie said.

 

He declined to quantify the total sum the Navajo had claimed it was owed before the settlement, saying he needed to review non-disclosure clauses.

 

Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly hailed the outcome as a “victory for tribal sovereignty” and promised to host town hall meetings to decide how to allocate settlement funds.

 

The Navajo Nation is the most populous native American tribe, with more than 300,000 members, and the largest by land mass, occupying 27,000 square miles (70,000 sq km) across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

 

“After a long, hard-won process, I am pleased that we have finally come to a resolution on this matter to receive fair and just compensation for the Navajo Nation,” Shelly said in a statement.

 

US attorney general Eric Holder said it was a historic agreement and showed the Justice Department’s commitment to “strengthening our partnership with tribal nations”.

 

More than two years ago the administration announced similar settlements with 41 tribes for about $1bn collectively. Since then, the government has resolved breach of trust claims by nearly 40 more tribes for more than $1.5bn, a Justice Department official said.

 

Shelly disclosed in May that the Navajo had reached an agreement in principle. The sides revealed on Wednesday that the deal had been fully approved and executed.

 

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/25/us-pays-navajo-nation-554m-mishandling-resources-held-trust

[Shabibilicious]

$1846.66 per Navajo member.    

 

GO RV, and NO BV

[dog53]

$1846.66 per Navajo member.    

 

GO RV, and NO BV

 

Ya not a whole lot of money is it when you look at it that way. 

But it`s 1846 more then I will ever get. 

My people are  not even recognized in their own state as a tribe  .

There is no such thing as Michigan Cree according to the state.

Cree reside in canada period. 

Not that I would ever take their handouts anyway.

But It would be nice to be able to tell them to shove their money up their arse.  

[chess]

.....tum tum tum tum............tum tum tum tum....................."HOW," gov't. paleface!....."show me the cheap wampum"

Edited September 25, 2014 by chess

[umbertino]

Ya not a whole lot of money is it when you look at it that way. 

But it`s 1846 more then I will ever get. 

My people are  not even recognized in their own state as a tribe  .

There is no such thing as Michigan Cree according to the state.

Cree reside in canada period. 

Not that I would ever take their handouts anyway.

But It would be nice to be able to tell them to shove their money up their arse.  

Agreed. Grazie dog.

[dog53]

.....tum tum tum tum............tum tum tum tum....................."HOW," gov't. paleface!....."show me the cheap wampum"

 

 

 

"HOW"

 

really ?

[Shabibilicious]

Ya not a whole lot of money is it when you look at it that way. 

But it`s 1846 more then I will ever get. 

My people are  not even recognized in their own state as a tribe  .

There is no such thing as Michigan Cree according to the state.

Cree reside in canada period. 

Not that I would ever take their handouts anyway.

But It would be nice to be able to tell them to shove their money up their arse.  

 

Damn Dog.....you could almost skip a stone to Canada.  

 

GO RV, and NO BV

"HOW"

 

really ?

 

Hahahahahahahahaha.    

 

GO RV, and NO BV

Edited September 25, 2014 by Shabibilicious

[chess]

OKAY.....so I was a big fan of the Lone Ranger and Tonto!!!.......................

[dog53]

OKAY.....so I was a big fan of the Lone Ranger and Tonto!!!.......................

 

hahahahaha  Not a problem Chess

Whats really funny is so did I and if I couldnt be the lone ranger I would refuse to play hahahahaha.

[chess]

HERE'S SOME REAL TRIVIA, dog...................What tribe did Tonto come from?

[dog53]

potawatomi   chess  which is hilarious

because they are a michigan tribe not a western tribe.

They lived on the banks of the raisin  with a small

band of cree  (my people who do not exist)   hahahahahaha

 

funny funny shat

[ronny46]

shouldn't that be $1,846,666.67 per tribe member if there are 300,000 registered in the tribe.

[umbertino]

shouldn't that be $1,846,666.67 per tribe member if there are 300,000 registered in the tribe.

No... If there are 554M  then it's a li'l less than 2k bucks per each of the 300,000......