URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archives/001957.asp

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Drilling takes place in their backyards, but many Navajo tribal members in northwestern New Mexico don't benefit from the development.

Navajo landowners say oil and gas companies are cheating them. A recent report from the special master in the Indian trust fund lawsuit found that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved rights-of-way for drilling projects at below market value. One of the companies involved, El Paso Corporation, said it was only following BIA procedure.

The Navajo Nation is opposing drilling in two areas in the San Juan Basin for fear of the impact on sacred sites. The Bureau of Land Management has agreed to delay development in order to consult with the tribe.

Get the Story:
It's Gas vs. Heritage in Navajo Country (The New York Times 10/14)
Username: indianzcom, Password: indianzcom

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Minerals Management Service - http://www.mms.gov

Related Stories:
Acting director named at DOI trust office (09/30)
Retaliation alleged in firing of trust fund manager (09/18)
Court report finds undervaluation of Navajo lands (08/21)
Whistle-blower warned DOI on Navajo land use (08/21)
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)
DOI employees falsified Navajo trust data (06/11)
Navajo leaders criticize upheaval at trust fund office (05/09)

All stories in the Indianz.Com Archive are available for publishing under a Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)