Good Black News, September 27, 2016
article by Sari Horowitz via washingtonpost.com —
Traditional Aztec dancers chant during a rally Sept. 13 in San Diego, in support of protesters at Standing Rock, N.D., who are fighting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images)
The Obama administration has settled lawsuits with 17 Native American tribes that accused the federal government of long mismanaging their funds and natural resources.
With these settlements, the administration will have resolved the majority of outstanding claims, some dating back a century, with more than 100 tribes and totaling more than $3.3 billion, according to the Justice and Interior departments.
“This is an important achievement that will end, honorably and fairly, decades of contention that not only sapped valuable resources but also strained relationships,” said Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates.
The settlements announced Monday, totaling $492.8 million, come at the same time that thousands of Native Americans representing tribes from across the country have joined the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota to protest the 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline, which they say threatens their water supply and traverses sacred Indian burial grounds.
To read full article, go to: U.S. to pay 17 Indian tribes $492 million to settle long-standing disputes
