News

As part of President Obama's continuing effort to help American Indian leaders build strong, resilient communities, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced the Department has signed a cooperative agreement with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidate ownership for the tribes with jurisdiction. In his historic visit to the Standing Rock reservation last month, President Obama underscored his commitment to help restore tribal homelands across Indian Country.

The Department of the Interior today announced that $2.9 million has been transferred to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund was authorized by the historic Cobell Settlement and provides financial assistance through annual scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary education and training.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor today announced that the Department has signed three additional agreements to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in fractionated trust lands and consolidate ownership for the tribes with jurisdiction. Agreements with the Coeur D'Alene Tribe of the Coeur D'Alene Reservation (Idaho), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Ore.), and the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation (Ariz.) detail what each tribal government will do to help implement the Program, such as appraisals, owner outreach, and education.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor today announced a schedule through 2015 for the continued implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program) that identifies locations representing more than half of all the fractional interests and half of all owners across Indian Country.