"In an important step toward addressing a problem that has affected generations of American Indian people, last week the Department of the Interior released the Obama Administration’s draft plan for implementing the Cobell Land Consolidation Program. The program is a major component of the Cobell settlement agreement which was signed into law by President Obama as part of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010. The land consolidation program will facilitate the voluntary buy-back of fractionated trust and restricted fee land interests owned by individual American Indians, thereby consolidating fractionated lands for the benefit of tribal communities. The Cobell settlement establishes a $1.9 billion fund to implement the program.

The Cobell settlement is the largest government class-action settlement in our country’s history. And while the settlement and land consolidation program will not be finalized until all the court approvals are completed, the Department of the Interior has already actively engaged tribal leaders in seven government to government consultations on how to best implement the land consolidation program."

Get the Story:
Charlie Galbraith: Implementing a New Era in our Government to Government Relationship (White House Blog 2/7)

Related Stories:
DOI releases land consolidation plan for Cobell settlement (2/2)