Mescalero gets big U.S. settlement

From the Ruidoso News - The Mescalero Apache Nation is one of 41 tribes in the United States that have settled lawsuits against the federal government. The settlements will provide more than $1 billion to the tribes. The Mescalero Apache Nation will receive nearly $33 million. The tribes had alleged that the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury had mismanaged money and natural resources held in trust for the benefit of the tribes dating back more than 100 years. The settlements followed 22 months of negotiations between the tribes and the United States. The Interior Department manages almost 56 million acres of trust lands for tribes and more than 100,000 leases on the lands for various uses, including oil and gas extraction, rights-of-way and easements, timber harvesting, farming, grazing and housing. "These important settlements reflect President Obama's continuing commitment to ensuring empowerment and reconciliation for American Indians," said U.S. Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar. "It strengthens the government-to-government relationship with tribal nations, helps restore a positive working relationship with Indian Country leaders, and empowers American Indian communities." Read more

Mescalero gets big U.S. settlement