Obama Administration Settles More Lawsuits with Native American Groups

A Cherokee elder at a powwow. Photo: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

As a result of treaties dating back to the 19th century, the Department of the Interior manages around 56 million acres of land on behalf of over 250 Native American tribes. There are more than 100,000 leases on that land. It isn’t surprising, considering the nation’s history with Native Americans, that mismanagement of that land is not at all uncommon. This mismanagement has resulted in huge loses of revenue for Native American tribes, who have turned to suing the federal government in a number of cases.

More than100 such lawsuits, totaling $3.3 billion have been brought against the government. Some of those cases go back almost as far as the treaties. The Obama Administration has been working to settle as many of these cases as possible in order to improve relationships with Native Americans, something the President vowed to do when he was first elected in 2008.

Since then, the administration has settled 95 total cases, with 17 recent settlements paying out $492 million. There are currently 11 additional cases in active negotiation at this time.

This is quite an accomplishment, and one that benefits the Native American tribes and the individuals involved, and the nation as a whole. The United States has a poor record of dealing with Native Americans, a collection of peoples who have, largely, been erased from the modern American consciousness. After stealing their land, the United States government tried to push the Native Americans they couldn’t kill onto reservations where they could be ignored.

The result was widespread destitution and depression as the government continued in its mission of eradicating Native American culture. In recent decades though, a string of legal and political victories have allowed a number of tribes to reassert themselves, reinvigorating tribal cultures and economies. Settlements such as these could help that process along.