American Indian Lawsuit Settled, U.S. Says - $1.4B to more than 300,000 Tribal Members

American Indian Lawsuit Settled, U.S. Says - $1.4B to more than 300,000 Tribal Members

www.cbsnews.com

The Obama administration says it is settling a long-running and contentious lawsuit over royalties owed to American Indians.

Under an agreement announced Tuesday, the Interior Department will distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 tribe members to compensate them for historical accounting claims, and to resolve future claims.

The settlement resolves a 13-year-old dispute in which Indian tribes claim they were swindled out of billions of dollars in oil, gas, grazing, timber and other

(visit the link for the full news article)

haha billions in Oil and gas, wow so little has changed eh?

Anyhow, it's long overdue and during an economic crisis but I still think this a good move.

1.4B is quite alot, but the question is how will they pay for this? Is the FED just going to print it out of thin air?

Anyhow, I actually hope this makes mainstream news and alot of it.

It's a good thing, bad timing, but better late than never.

Song regarding natives


www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 8-12-2009 by ModernAcademia]

Okay, since these are reimbursements for stolen oil, timber etc. Why does this not come from the companies that profited from the removal of these resources?

Oh, the government probably took the money from the companies and never paid the American Indian tribes. Gotcha.

And we want this same gubmint to run our health care.

I think the American Indian knows whether or not this is a good idea.

Should we ask them?

Not sure if this is how it works, but when these lawsuits are settled, this is how in my eyes it hurts the economy.

This is 1.4B worth of dollars that can be spent on anything. Unless these Indians start their own business (which I get the feeling many will not), they will spend it on whatever goods they wish.

Raises demand for said goods, yet supply remains the same...

AKA, after so much of this BS, the prices go up and the real value of the rest of our money goes down.

Does that sound right to everybody?

Originally posted by endisnighe
Okay, since these are reimbursements for stolen oil, timber etc. Why does this not come from the companies that profited from the removal of these resources?

Oh, the government probably took the money from the companies and never paid the American Indian tribes. Gotcha.

Regardless of who's hand it comes from, you know from whom's pockets it will originate.

As far as the need for reparations? Deserved, but what figure is reasonable? I don't know. Of course, the article doesn't mention how much of those funds will be devoured by attorneys and administrators.

[edit on 8-12-2009 by WTFover]

[edit on 8-12-2009 by WTFover]

Originally posted by endisnighe
Okay, since these are reimbursements for stolen oil, timber etc. Why does this not come from the companies that profited from the removal of these resources?

Oh, the government probably took the money from the companies and never paid the American Indian tribes. Gotcha.

And we want this same gubmint to run our health care.

I think the American Indian knows whether or not this is a good idea.

Should we ask them?

If my dad (government) said it was ok for me (oil company) to take from my sisters (American Indians) piggy bank, who do you think is at fault?

I think it's great that they've won their case and will receive some of the money that they are owed. The only problem is that it couldn't come at a worse time for the taxpayers, and honestly I don't see what good it's going to do for them given that the money that they'll receive isn't worth the paper that it's printed on.

This sounds like the same case that there was a thread about last year, if it is I remember them saying that they wanted all their land back and were trying to go back to their old ways of living off the land. I hope they do, the less they have to deal with & depend on this corrupt government the better off they'll be.

The real question is how they are going to spend the money. After working on an indian reservation with native american children I have come to the conclusion that the tribal government here doesn't care about the welfare of their future generations. IMO this is just another Government handout that will get wasted. Maybe they can spend this money on Anti-Meth programs so I wont have to call child services twice a week with a new cases of Child abuse.

Now im not racist,(I wouldnt drive 100 miles to work everyday if i was) im just telling you how it is. I have worked with alot of young Native Americans and I have seen first hand how their tribal government has failed them because of corruption and poor leadership.

The thing that really pisses me off is the older generations that hate me because im a white even tho Im trying to help and provide a positive role model for their children. Im not saying that they all are like this but the majority is. On a positive note, The younger generations of Native American show real promise. They are eager to fix their reservations and want to but what they need are better job opportunities.

I know someone is going to call me racist but I have talked to community leaders such as teachers principles and parents and have formed my opinions based on conversations and opinions from Native americans in their communities.

I must say tho that It is a real pleasure working with these kids I just hope that the tribal gov. doesnt mess this up.

[edit on 9-12-2009 by CowboyDrifter]

The way I understand it works (or not, as has been the case) is that the native Americans lease out the land to the big corps for whatever use they state. A percentage of the profit realised from the land use was then paid to the agency - the government.
As has been argued, the government has been withholding money for decades that was supposed to have been paid to the native American land owners, as well as the big corporations also not paying the government agency.
The $1.4Billion payment we see here is a token payment, most likely a lot lower than what is owed (I have seen much higher figures in the past).

Just think of the interest alone on the withheld sums owed! I'm sure there have been many government figures and corporate board members salting away this money or profiting from the interest for a long time.

Simple criminal intent comes into play and there should be jail time for those "managing" the funds, as well as this payment.

Anyone done the division? How much will each person actually get?

I would do it but its bedtime and i'm lazy. LOL

reply to post by Britguy


That argument is rubbish. Whether or not the land was "taken" or won in a war is immaterial. Land changing hands is and has been a fact of life since the first three cavemen appeared on the scene. How much has England given to Pakistan for the value of the resources that were used during the occupation of Pakistan or the money that was repatriated back to England during the occupation?

The whole native American business is a joke. They pay no taxes. They have gambling rights and make a ton of money running casinos. They all get a check in the mail from uncle sam every month for every man/woman and child. They have total access to all natural resources. They can run gill nets across rivers, depleting the salmon runs at will. They can harvest shellfish on the coast regardless of whether or not the land is owned by a non-indian.

Enough already with "bed is burning" bs. Pay them the cash? Fine. Take away all other subsidies and all other special rights then.

Originally posted by dolphinfan
reply to post by Britguy

 

That argument is rubbish. Whether or not the land was "taken" or won in a war is immaterial. Land changing hands is and has been a fact of life since the first three cavemen appeared on the scene. How much has England given to Pakistan for the value of the resources that were used during the occupation of Pakistan or the money that was repatriated back to England during the occupation?

The whole native American business is a joke. They pay no taxes. They have gambling rights and make a ton of money running casinos. They all get a check in the mail from uncle sam every month for every man/woman and child. They have total access to all natural resources. They can run gill nets across rivers, depleting the salmon runs at will. They can harvest shellfish on the coast regardless of whether or not the land is owned by a non-indian.

Enough already with "bed is burning" bs. Pay them the cash? Fine. Take away all other subsidies and all other special rights then.

You seem to be missing the main point here, that it is Indian land that is being used. That is, land allocated to them under treaty by the US government. It has nothing to do with the land they once roamed over, but the land they now occupy, which are two completely different things.

This is also money owed to them, going back decades. The robbers and criminals here are the US government and the corporations who used the land and didn't pay.

Blaming the Indians, who were after all persecuted and, it seems, still are, is just plain crazy. Justifying it as land taken through war is a ridiculous excuse. Would you have the same attitude if I turned up, killed half your family and kicked you out the house?

reply to post by Britguy


It is my contention that it is unreasonable to grant soverign nation status to a group of people within a nation state. The whole reservation business is a crock. If it is their land, why are allowed off the reservation without a passport? Oh, its because they're Americans. Let me get this straight. They are soverign and as such don't have to abide by many of the laws of the US. They can however utilize all elements of that same society when ever they choose. Stiff them on the cash and tell them we're all good. If they don't like that, let them renounce their US citizenship and retire to their soverign nation, build their own infrastructure, and support themselves.

As far as the business with you coming into my house, that argument is rubbish as well. Nation states don't abide by the same governing principals as do individuals. Just take a look at the Falklands

'


Wow, 1.48 Billion !!! it's probably a good time to invest in " Jack Daniels" Stock !!!

I have a feeling it's going to go through the roof !!!

Originally posted by endisnighe
Okay, since these are reimbursements for stolen oil, timber etc. Why does this not come from the companies that profited from the removal of these resources?

Oh, the government probably took the money from the companies and never paid the American Indian tribes. Gotcha.

And we want this same gubmint to run our health care.

I think the American Indian knows whether or not this is a good idea.

Should we ask them?

And this is the same gubmint that should not tax, compel, regulate or influence these companies in any way?

And we want this logic in the Gubmint?

I know a few members, contrary to my outlook, who share the same political views, who also do not like calculators.

But here

$4, 666.67

if every penny goes to each person unskinned

[edit on 9-12-2009 by Janky Red]

I don't have a problem with who they're giving the money to and why.. but I DO have a problem with where they're taking the money FROM.

$4,600 each for all the tyranny and shafting the Natives have had perpetrated against them :down:

And watch them get income taxed for it. Do they have to pay income taxes (to pay off the interest on the national debt to the privately owned Federal Reserve)???

Maybe in 10 years after the UN-NWO has had its way with us we'll each get a $400 carbon tax rebate...

[edit on 9-12-2009 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Thanks for doing the math guys.

I look at it this way. White man stole that land. By right it is theirs. if a native American Indian wanted to use my land for something, I would let him. He has more right being here than I do.

It's not about land changing hands,, that is BS.. the land didn't change hands.. it was stolen.. these people were force off their land by greed and then treated like dirt.

It's not about land changing hands,, that is BS.. the land didn't change hands.. it was stolen..

Except that the land has been stolen, over and over and over again. How far back is acceptable to go before it is said "these are the first people here" ?

Do you really think nobody inhabited these lands pre colonial days? Do you really think that Native Americans are the ONLY people who lived here before the pilgrims?



we should see those Indian tribes pay restitution to any other Indian tribes that they may have gone to war with and took over THEIR land.

And those Indians should be forced to pay to the other Indians that got wiped out in a war over land, and so on, and so on, and so on....


Case in point - where I'm from - a native American tribe called the "Illini" which were wiped out by other American Indian tribes.

Hypocrisy at best...humorous at worst. It just angers me to see our government pay them by taking it from me.

[edit on 9-12-2009 by Snarf]