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Whistle-blower warned DOI on Navajo land use
Thursday, August 21, 2003
A senior trust manager who has been placed on leave warned the Department of Interior about the undervaluing of Navajo land, The Albuquerque Journal reports.
Kevin Gambrell has been the director of the Farmington Indian Minerals Office (FIMO) since 1996.
He told the paper that he told the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of the Solicitor that Navajo landowners getting paid less for rights-of-way to but got no response.
So he informed special master Balaran for the Cobell case. Balaran conducted an investigation and found that Navajo allottees received
$25 to $40 per rod, a measure of distance, to allow oil and gas companies to run pipeline on their land whereas private owners
received between $170 and $550 per rod.
FIMO handles oil and gas leasing for Navajos in the Four Corners. The office did not handle appraisals for rights-of-way because the BIA would not give up the function.
The Office of Special Trustee now oversees al Indian land appraisals.
Get the Story:
Navajos Shorted on Leases
(The Albuquerque Journal 8/21)
Investigation finds that Navajo landowners are underpaid for land rights
(AP 8/21)
Get the Report:
SITE VISIT
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MASTER TO THE OFFICE OF APPRAISAL SERVICES IN GALLUP, NEW
MEXICO AND THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS NAVAJO REALTY OFFICE IN WINDOW ROCK,
ARIZONA (August 20, 2003)
Relevant Links:
Indian
Trust: Cobell v. Norton -
http://www.indiantrust.com
Navajo Nation -
http://www.navajo.org
Office of Special
Trustee -
http://www.ost.doi.gov
Related Stories:
Court master releases report on Navajo
appraisals (8/20)
Swimmer weighs
consolidation of appraisals (8/15)
Norton admits Interior hid facts from
Congress (7/24)
Navajo trust
fund manager targeted in internal probe (07/15)
Indian employees challenging DOI
reorganization (06/03)
Navajo
leaders criticize upheaval at trust fund office (05/09)
Confusion detailed at Interior
(10/16)
DOI land swap
program to be reviewed (10/11)
Norton land deal subject of dispute
(10/01)
DOI approved $100M land
'giveaway' (8/19)
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