According to NPR reports, the U.S government will be paying $492 million to the Indian Tribes of America. This payment will be made to resolve a court case regarding exploitation of natural resources.
The officials claimed that there are more than 100 court cases with an estimated value of $3.3 billion, filed against the U.S government. Some of these charges made by Indian activists are older than a century.
In 2008, during his campaign, Barack Obama promised to come up with a policy regarding Indians, a policy that will honor the inter government association and guarantee the application of treaty responsibilities.
Sally Jewel, the Interior secretary, claimed in a joint statement made by the Justice and Interior Department that solving such old disputes shows the commitment of the Obama government towards the Indian community.
NPR reports suggested that the Interior department, as per the clauses made in 1800’s, handles lands of 250 tribes totaling 56 million acres by leasing it to about 100.000 various programs.
Melody McCoy a member of the attorney team of “Native-American-Rights-Fund” claimed that the tribes didn’t always received their deserved compensation from the U.S Government. He also complained that U.S government not only mishandled the lands, but the money and other assets also.
This resulted in a loss that is being carried by Native Indians for decades. However, McCoy gave a certificate to the Obama government by stating that there are 95 solved settlements and 11 under positive negotiation since Obama took the charge.
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