Democrats To Return $107,000 Donation From Tribe Indians Don’t Want Money, They Want Land Back

The Democratic National Committee said Thursday it will return $107,000 solicited from an impoverished American Indian tribe - even though tribal leaders made it clear they didn’t want it back.

The Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe of central Oklahoma was tapped for a large contribution last year by DNC fund-raisers.

The tribe responded, even though they had to dip into a tribal welfare fund, in hopes of getting a meeting with President Clinton - and a favorable ruling on a lingering land dispute with the federal government.

Escorted by DNC officials, two members of the tribal council did get their audience with Clinton, although nothing happened on the land issue.

This week, when the contribution made the news, Clinton reacted angrily, but his demand that the DNC straighten out the matter was complicated by the Indians’ response that they didn’t want their money back, they wanted their land instead.

But Thursday, DNC officials with a push from the White House - concluded they are legally and ethically bound to return it.

Tribal council chairman Charles Surveyor said the tribe “stands behind the donation,” but added, “if they persist in offering the tribe their money back, we will have no choice but to accept it.”