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Tell the Senate: Reimburse Native Americans for Stolen Money
  1. Signatures
    318 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. Senate
  2. Created By
    Charlotte Hill
    Oakland, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

UPDATE 06/18/2010: The Senate's deadline for passing the Cobell settlement has been delayed -- for the fourth time -- to July 9. For more information on the precarious state of the legislation, read my latest post here.

The Senate has until July 9 to approve a settlement that would repay Native Americans the $3.4 billion that's been stolen from them for decades — stolen, as it were, by our very own U.S. government.

Tell the Senate to follow in the House's footsteps and authorize the settlement before July 9.

The $3.4 billion settlement is the culmination of a 14-year struggle to reimburse at least 300,000 Native Americans who own tracts of land that the federal government holds in trusts for them and leases to American companies. The money earned from the leases is supposed to be distributed to Native Americans in regular payments by the Department of Interior.

But instead, that money has largely remained in the hands of non-Indian leaseholders and government agencies. In short, Indians have been giving away their land for free.

The district courts have ruled that the federal government repeatedly breached its trust duties and is obligated to provide a detailed accounting to any Native Americans whose land is held in government trusts. Last December, a proposed settlement finally was signed for $3.4 billion.

The December settlement was a milestone in the long-fought battle for Native American rights. But whether the settlement actually goes through depends on a vote from Congress, and June 15 is the legislation's final deadline. The House passed a resolution authorizing the settlement and allocating funds on May 28, but if the Senate doesn't follow suit, the entire deal could be terminated, sparking another decade of court battles and endless litigation.

The Senate has delayed voting on the legislation three times already; don't let it happen again. Tell the Senate to approve the $3.4 billion settlement without any more haggling.

Photo credit: Melissa Wiese

Recent Signatures

Please pass the Cobell Settlement before July 9

Dear Senator,

For many decades, Native American land has been leased to U.S. companies, but the landholders themselves have rarely seen a dime.

The Cobell Settlement currently pending authorization in the Senate would repay these Native Americans the $3.4 billion they're currently owed.

The Senate has until July 9 to follow in the House's footsteps and authorize the settlement. The past three deadlines have gone by unnoticed by the Senate; please don't let it happen again.

Approve the $3.4 billion settlement today, without any amendments or any more haggling. It's the right thing to do.

Thank you for your support.

[Your name]

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