The
Interior Department held
the first consultation meeting for the land consolidation portion of the
Indian trust fund settlement on Friday.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Deputy Secretary David Hayes attended the meeting, which was held in Billings, Montana. They heard from tribal leaders about ways to use the $1.9 billion to purchase highly fractionated interests from willing landowners.
“The Billings meeting and upcoming meetings with tribal leaders in other regions are just part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to re-invigorating nation-to-nation relationships with tribes," Salazar said in a
press release.
Future sessions will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2011, in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Friday, September 16, 2011, in Seattle, Washington; Tuesday, September 27, 2011, in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Thursday, September 29, 2011, in Phoenix, Arizona; and Thursday, October 6, 2011, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma..
Get the Story:
Tribes, Federal officials seek new start after $3.4B settlement
(AP 7/15)
Salazar meets with tribal leaders to discuss land trust lawsuit settlement
(Government Executive News 7/15)
Related Stories:
Interior Department begins consultation for land
consolidation (7/14)
DOI consultation meetings on
land consolidation start in July (6/14)
DOI to announce consultation process on land
consolidation (6/2)
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