WASHINGTON-The Department of the Interior has signed agreements with the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana, and the Santee Sioux Nation of the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska to guide implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations at each of these reservations.
The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within 10 years. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.
"Our partnerships with tribal nations recognize the importance of tribal sovereignty and support tailored implementation of the Buy-Back Program at each unique reservation," said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. "Each tribe's input and involvement is critical for outreach to landowners and overall effective implementation of the program."
To date, the Department has entered into agreements with 49 tribal nations to cooperatively implement the Buy-Back Program. The agreements outline individualized, coordinated strategies to educate landowners about the program. These are the second agreements of their kind signed between the Department and the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.
"The Oglala Sioux Tribe is pleased to enter into an agreement with the Department," said Oglala Sioux Tribe President Troy "Scott" Weston. "Our collaboration with the Department will enable landowners to voluntarily sell their fractionated trust land interests in order to benefit our Tribe."
"Consolidating our Tribal land base has been a priority for decades as it allows us to make better culturally-based resource management decisions, more opportunities to increase economic development and housing opportunities, strengthen Tribal sovereignty and most of all to preserve the sacredness of the land for the coming generations," said Northern Cheyenne President L. Jace Killsback.
Since the program began in December 2013, more than 765,000 interests and nearly 2.2 million acres of land have been transferred to tribal governments. As a result of the program, tribal ownership now exceeds 50 percent in 14,700 more tracts of land, strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Returning fractionated lands to tribes in trust provides potential to improve tribal community resources by increasing home site locations, improving transportation routes, spurring economic development, easing approval for infrastructure and community projects and preserving traditional cultural or ceremonial sites. More information is available at https://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/FAQ.
