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September 29, 2010 in Nation/World, Region
Senate inaction puts Indian trust settlement on hold
HELENA, Mont. — Supporters of a $3.4 billion government settlement with American Indians will have to keep waiting.
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to adjourn today without giving the Obama administration the authority to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in 1996 by Elouise Cobell of Browning, Mont. The suit accuses the federal government of mismanaging billions of dollars held in trust for Indian landowners.
The Senate will reconvene for a lame-duck session Nov. 15. Cobell says no decision has been made on whether to press for Senate approval in that session.
The House has approved the settlement twice since May.
Cobell says the Senate’s inaction is a great disappointment. She says the plaintiffs believe a majority of senators support the settlement and that even their critics say it’s time to end the 14-year-old lawsuit.
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Shylock13 on September 29 at 6:20 p.m.
Possibly the settlement is a bit over the top!
Pat O'Leary on September 29 at 7:32 p.m.
For two hundred years we have been screwing the Native Americans and it is time to give them justice.
Shylock13 on September 29 at 8:12 p.m.
I would agree with Pat, but those who were screwed are long gone. Indian nations already have sovereignty. They also have a lot of sweet casino deals. Further, the tribes get a whole lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ from the feds for various things, including welfare. And do the tribes pass most on their gambling $$$$$$$$$$$$$ to the tribal members? Not from the reservations I have driven through!!! How much “justice” is enough???
misjustice on September 29 at 10:23 p.m.
How much “justice” is enough???
Well, when considering genocide, I’d say there could never be enough justice.
But this isn’t about reparation for genocide, it’s about out right theft of a trust account.
As for the casinos, good for them!
Justin_Galloway on September 29 at 11:14 p.m.
This suit isn’t really about “justice” or even reparations. It is merely paying the related tribes a small pittance of funds that were already due them many many years ago for natural resource rights to their lands. These funds disappeared into the BIA for so long and for so much, that no one even knows how much money was misappropriated.