A view of the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Photo from Fond du Lac Band

The Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations has come to the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota.

Nearly $3.8 million in offers went out to more than 3,200 landowners, the Interior Department announced on Monday. Interested sellers have 45 days -- until May 2 -- to accept the money for their fractionated interests.

According to The Duluth News Tribune, individual Indians own about 8,000 acres on the Fond du Lac Reservation. Some parcels have as many as 1,800 owners, the paper said.

The $3.8 million in offers appear to be part of a first round on the reservation because the tribe previously said it anticipated upwards of $7.8 million in offers, a figure confirmed by a March 11 chart from the buy-back program. Some reservations have seen more then one round of offers.

According to the March 11 chart, Indian landowners across the country have accepted $739.5 million for their interests. The equivalent of nearly 1.5 million acres has been transferred to tribal governments through the program.

The $3.4 billion Cobell settlement provided $1.9 billion for Indian landowners who want to sell their fractionated interests. The Indian Land Consolidation Act requires the federal government to pay "fair market value" for the interests.

“We continue to see enthusiasm for the Buy-Back Program across Indian Country,” Deputy Secretary Michael Connor said in a press release. “As program implementation progresses, federal staff and tribal leaders must continue to work together to ensure that landowners are provided all relevant information so they are fully informed about participation in the program.”

Get the Story:
Offers out to owners of Fond du Lac land (The Duluth News Tribune 3/15)

Related Stories:
Kevin Washburn: Cobell buy-back program helps Indian Country (03/02)
Top DOI officials in New Mexico for land buy-back listening session (3/1)
Muscogee Nation looking to sign Cobell land buy-back agreement (02/01)
Fond du Lac Band expects $7.8M in Cobell land buy-back offers (01/12)
Cobell plaintiffs offer update on distribution of settlement funds (01/06)
DOI signs Cobell buy-back agreements with two more tribes (12/16)
DOI schedules listening session for Cobell Land Buy-Back Program (12/08)
Landowners on Lummi Nation see $4M in Cobell buyback offers (11/17)
Landowners from Swinomish Tribe see $3.8M for Cobell buy-back (10/27)
Colville Tribes expect to see $27.7M in Cobell buy-back offers (10/26)
Quinault Nation to see $19M from Cobell land buy-back program (09/21)
DOI signs five more cooperative agreements for Cobell land buy-back program (09/15)
Native Sun News: Lower Brule landowners will see Cobell offers (09/10)
Native Sun News: Lower Brule Sioux Tribe misses Cobell deadline (08/28)
Land buy-back hits milestone with over $500M in purchases (06/26)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes see 4K acres from buy-back (06/18)
Landowners on Fort Peck Reservation see $54M in Cobell offers (06/11)
DOI sends over $230M in offers to Indian landowners in Montana (6/8)
Osage Nation expects to see offers from land buy-back program (05/28)
Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation sees $150M in land offers (05/07)
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe prepares for Cobell buy-back offers (04/28)
Navajo Nation signs buy-back cooperative agreement with DOI (04/15)
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation sees $195M in buyback offers (04/06)
Navajo Nation considers agreement for land-buy back program (03/30)
DOI sends another $34M in offers on Rosebud Sioux Reservation (03/24)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeks owners for buy-back program (3/19)
Lummi Nation signs cooperative agreement for Cobell buy-back (03/09)
DOI schedules listening session on buy-back program in Arizona (03/03)
Deadlines approaching for over $100M in land buy-back offers (02/24)
DOI signs land buy-back cooperative agreements with two tribes (01/30)
Osage Nation expects to see $7.4M in Cobell consolidation offers (1/27)
DOI sends $20M in land-buy back offers on Salt River Reservation (01/16)
DOI signs land buy-back agreements with Washington tribes (1/13)