Posted on 12/08/2009 11:12:09 AM PST by NativeNewYorker
Washington (dpa) -- The United States on Tuesday agreed to pay 3.4 billion dollars to settle a long-running lawsuit brought by some 300,000 Native Americans who claimed they had been cheated out of land revenue for more than a century.
The class-action lawsuit was first brought 13 years ago and has been the subject of 22 judicial decisions. Many past attempts to settle the claims have failed.
"We are here to right a past wrong," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said at a press conference in Washington. The settlement still has to be approved by Congress and in court.
The dispute stems from an 1887 agreement that divided up much of the Indian tribal lands into small parcels that were individually owned and held in "trust" by the US government.
Native Americans claim the mismanagement of those trust accounts robbed them of billions of dollars in revenue that the government collected from leasing the parcels of land.
Under the settlement, the government agreed to pay 1.4 billion dollars directly to the 300,000 Native Americans tribal members. Another 2 billion dollars was set aside for the government to buy some of the land from its owners.
If one really wants to see government healthcare in action, go to a reservation.
Reparations precedent.
Also shows the hazards to a culture when there is an open borders policy.
Under the settlement, the government agreed to pay 1.4 billion dollars of taxpayers money to the 300,000 Native Americans tribal members. Another 2 billion dollars was set aside for the government to buy some of the land from its owners......fixed it.
And the money isn't going to the litigants as much as it is going to other interests.
Next step:
Reparations to descendants of former slaves... including Michelle.
Just another good reason to
STOP GOING TO THEIR CASINOS!!!!!!!!!
dittos
$3.4 billion divided by 300,000 tribal members equals $11,333 per person. But since “only” $1.4 billion is being “paid directly” to the tribal members, that means each person will get $4,667 (and that’s assuming the attorney’s cut is paid separately instead of taken out of the proceeds).
Heck no! The BIA has stolen from the Indians forever.
Wow, 3.4 billion will buy a LOT of fire water...
payment for shutting down their mail order cigarette business
and that’s assuming the attorney’s cut is paid separately instead of taken out of the proceeds
... Dances with Counsel
Chief Contingency
He Who Chases Ambulance
(Dang—You beat me on the whole reparations thing.)
Might need another fix. The BIA collected billions for mineral rights and couldn’t be bothered to keep the records as to whom the money was owed, with a Clinton appoitee basically telling the court that the rats ate the records, so that was the end of that. This settlement is about a half billion short of what the feds owe with basic interest. Oh, and the money to by back land is parcels that the feds just can’t figure out anymore from their odd land splitting formulas.
I think Clinton set that precedent paying the Japanese for the relocation camps during WWII, as well as some Pacific Islanders (another group is in my recollection too).
I don’t know the particulars but I’m sure the 0bama administration caved in completely. Gave the Indians 100% where 60% would have been fair and acceptable
It’s only taxpayer money so give it way tgo buy votes
This is reparations
Heapum shakedown, ug
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