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FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2003

Education is the most important factor influencing control over land in Indian Country, according to the results of survey released on Thursday.

The Indian Land Tenure Foundation, a non-profit based in Minnesota, asked tribal leaders and tribal members for their views on land issues. Respondents overwhelmingly said land was key to securing a better future, improving tribal sovereignty, sustaining cultural and religious practices and keeping Indian communities together, among other positives.

But when asked whether Indian land rights are secure and respected, the great majority, about 80 percent, said no. "This dire view has been formed by historical experience with the federal, state, and local governments," the organization remarked.

The bright side of the "mixed" survey was that many survey participants cited education as helping improve the current status. "Despite the problems that many of the respondents felt Indians faced in using their property rights or controlling and managing land, exactly half felt that their children or future generations would be able to better use or control land than the respondents do now," according to the survey.

That conclusion fits in nicely with the goals of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, the recent beneficiary of a $20 million grant. The organization is in the midst of developing a strategy aimed at ensuring Indian land staying within Indian hands.

It's a difficult objective, judging by history. From 1887 to 1934, 90 million acres fell out of Indian ownership due to federal policies, many of which exploited tribes and individual Indians.

Today, survey respondents considered the Bureau of Indian Affairs average when it comes to land tenure. Respondents in the Alaska and Southwestern regions of the country were more likely to say the BIA was helpful than other respondents.

But respondents from the Navajo Nation, which is separate from the BIA's Southwestern region, were more likely to say the BIA was a hindrance.

There were 219 respondents to the survey, which was conducted in January of this year.

Get the Survey:
Importance of Land and Value of Property Rights January 2003

Relevant Links:
Indian Land Tenure Foundation - http://www.indianlandtenure.org/index.html

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Group sees momentum to recover Indian lands (02/06)
Land group seeking input from Indian Country (2/3)
Grant awarded to protect Indian land (11/13)