A federal Buy-Back program through the Cobell settlement is taking a step forward on the Rosebud Reservation. The settlement stems from a lawsuit against the federal government over mismanaged trust land. Native American land was held in trust by the federal government, so the tribes did not own it, and the government was not paying the money it owed to the Native Americans for over a century.
Anthony Rodman is with the Department of the Interior’s Buy-Back Program. Rodman says the effort aims to piece back together trust land that was split up over generations. The Department of the Interior is offering $50 million in offers to 11,000 landowners.
“So once the individual decides that he or she wants to sell then those interests once sold are transferred to the tribal government that has jurisdiction over that land and so the tribal government can use that land for a number of purposes that would benefit the tribe and the citizens,” says Rodman.
Rosebud landowners have until August 16th to accept the land offers.