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President Obama Op-Ed: On My Upcoming Trip to Indian Country - Archive
Cobell / Land buyback, Press Release
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
6/5/2014
Six years ago, I made my first trip to Indian country. I visited the Crow Nation in Montana—an experience I'll never forget. I left with a new Crow name, an adoptive Crow family, and an even stronger commitment to build a future that honors...
Interior Signs Agreements with Three Additional Tribal Nations to Reduce Fractionation in Indian Country - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
5/29/2014
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.
Interior Extends Buy-Back Program Implementation for Landowners with Fractionated Interests at Pine Ridge Reservation - Archive
Cobell / Land buyback, Press Release
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
5/20/2014
Noting that the Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the most highly-fractionated land ownership locations in Indian Country, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Buy-Back Program today extended its implementation on the reservation.
Deputy Secretary Connor Announces Next Implementation Schedule for $1.9 Billion Land Buy-Back Program - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
5/15/2014
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.
Buy-Back Program Launches Public Service Announcements with Tribal Leaders to Inform Landowners of Opportunity to Sell Fractionated Interests - Archive
Cobell / Land buyback, Press Release
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/18/2014
The Buy-Back Program today launched two new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) as part of the continuing effort to inform Indian landowners about the opportunity to consolidate fractionated interests into tribal trust ownership.
Deadline Approaching for Landowners with Fractionated Interests at Pine Ridge Reservation - Archive
Cobell / Land buyback, Press Release
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/18/2014
The Department of the Interior has sent purchase offers totalling more than $100 million to nearly 16,000 landowners with fractionated interests at the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Interior Sends Additional $1.2 Million in Purchase Offers to Nearly 600 Landowners with Fractional Interests at Makah Reservation - Archive
Cobell / Land buyback, Press Release
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/15/2014
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that the Land Buy-Back Program has sent additional purchase offers totaling approximately $1.2 million to nearly 600 individual landowners with fractional interests in parcels at the Makah Reservation.
Interior Signs Cooperative Agreement with Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate as Next Step in Land Buy-Back Program - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/8/2014
As part of President Obama's commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the latest step in the implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), as the Department signed its next cooperative agreement, this time with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation located in northeastern South Dakota and in southeastern North Dakota.
Interior Announces First Transfer from Land Buy-Back Program to Cobell Education Fund - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/2/2014
The Department of the Interior today announced that quarterly transfers of funds to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund are set to begin this week with a first transfer of nearly $580,000 to the American Indian College Fund. The Scholarship Fund was authorized by the historic Cobell Settlement, approved in November 2012, to provide financial assistance through annual scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary education and training.
Interior Announces More Than $100 Million in Purchase Offers to Nearly 16,000 Landowners with Fractionated Interests at Pine Ridge Reservation - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
3/19/2014
In another step to fulfill President Obama's commitment to strengthen Indian communities, the U.S. Department of the Interior today announced that the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has sent purchase offers to nearly 16,000 individual landowners with fractionated interests in parcels on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Totaling more than $100 million, these offers will provide landowners the opportunity to voluntarily sell their fractionated interests, which would be consolidated and held in trust for the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation.
PHOTO: Interior Announces Next Cooperative Agreements Under Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
1/30/2014
As part of President Obama's commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn announced cooperative agreements with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, both located in Montana, for continued collaborative implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) on their reservations. The Buy-Back Program will purchase trust or restricted interests from willing sellers and transfer those interests to the tribes in order to unlock lands for tribal development and other priorities.
Interior Announces Next Cooperative Agreements Under Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
1/30/2014
As part of President Obama's commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn today announced cooperative agreements with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, both located in Montana, for continued collaborative implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) on their reservations. The Buy-Back Program will purchase trust or restricted interests from willing sellers and transfer those interests to the tribes in order to unlock lands for tribal development and other priorities.
Secretary Jewell Announces Board of Trustee Selections for Cobell Education Scholarship Fund - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
1/15/2014
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced her selection of Dr. Jean O'Brien, of the University of Minnesota, and Pamela Agoyo, of the University of New Mexico, to serve as the Secretary's appointees to the Board of Trustees for the Cobell Education scholarship fund. The five-member board will oversee the scholarship fund, which was authorized by the Cobell Settlement to provide financial assistance to Native American students wishing to pursue post-secondary education and training.
Op-Ed: Interior's Land Buy-Back Program Strengthening Our Nation-to-Nation Partnership - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
12/20/2013
Last year, the Department of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations to implement important land consolidation requirements set forth in the historic Cobell Settlement Agreement. That agreement provided for a $1.9 billion fund to consolidate lands that have become fractionated, over time, across Indian Country. By establishing the Buy-Back Program, the Department made a commitment to work together – with tribes and individual Indian land owners alike– to address the negative impacts of land fractionation in Indian Country.
Interior Announces First Purchase Offers to Facilitate Cobell Land Consolidation Efforts - Archive
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
12/18/2013
In a major step toward fully implementing the historic Cobell settlement, the Department of the Interior announced today that it has sent initial purchase offers to consolidate ownership of highly fractionated trust lands. Working closely with the Oglala Sioux leadership to facilitate the tribe's priorities, owners of fractionated land interests at the Pine Ridge Reservation are the first to receive purchase offers under the Department's Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. Purchase offers to individuals with interests at the Makah Indian Reservation will also be sent this week. Additional sets of offers will be sent to owners of interests at both locations in the coming weeks. Purchasing interests at fair market value from willing sellers will ultimately further strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of tribal lands.

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