Interior Department Expands Buy-Back Program Across Indian Country

Date: May 17, 2016
Contacts: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON – Following extensive outreach with tribal leaders and American Indian landowners, Interior Deputy Secretary Michael L. Connor today announced an expanded schedule for implementing the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program) at 63 additional locations from 2018 through mid-2021. Since it began making offers in December 2013, the Program has paid more than $740 million to individual landowners and restored the equivalent of nearly 1.5 million acres of land to tribal governments.

The expansion brings the number of locations planned for the Program to 105, a total that includes more than 96 percent of all landowners with fractionated interests and more than 98 percent of both purchasable fractional interests and equivalent acres in Program-eligible areas. About 245,000 landowners hold nearly three million fractional interests across Indian Country.

“The Buy-Back Program embodies the priorities set forth by the Obama Administration's goal to build effective partnerships with American Indian communities, promote sustainable economic development and tribal culture, and protect tribal lands,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “In partnership with tribal governments, this Program is generating new opportunities to work more efficiently, stimulate community dialogue and facilitate land use planning, while ensuring that lands stay in trust for the benefit of tribal nations.”

The 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. Individuals who choose to voluntarily sell their interests will receive payments directly in their Individual Indian Money accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

Informed by early planning activities and tribal engagement in 2013-2014, Interior identified 42 locations in November 2014 where land consolidation activities – such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions – have either already occurred or are expected to take place through the middle of 2017.

In November 2015, the Program announced a Planning Initiative.

The following is a list of the 63 additional locations added to the Buy-Back Program schedule for implementation from 2018 through mid-2021:

• Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
• Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
• Blue Lake Rancheria, California
• Cherokee Nation
• Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma
• Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma
• Colorado River Indian Tribe of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California
• Comanche Nation, Oklahoma
• Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
• Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
• Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin
• Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, California
• Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, California
• Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin
• Hoopa Valley Tribe, California 
• Hopi Tribe of Arizona
• Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation, Washington
• Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan
• Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas
• Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
• Kootenai Tribe of Idaho                                                                                       
• Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin
• Minnesota Chippewa - Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake)
• Minnesota Chippewa - Grand Portage Band
• Minnesota Chippewa - Leech Lake Band
• Minnesota Chippewa - Mille Lacs Band
• Minnesota Chippewa - White Earth Band
• Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California
• Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
• Nisqually Indian Tribe
• Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
• Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma
• Pala Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pala Reservation, California
• Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
• Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation, California
• Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico
• Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation, Washington
• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
• Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota
• Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Rincon Reservation, California
• Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska
• Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma
• Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
• Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska
• Skokomish Indian Tribe
• Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota
• Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation
• Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin
• Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation
• Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
• The Chickasaw Nation
• The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• The Muscogee (Creek) Nation
• The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
• Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona
• Tulalip Tribes of Washington
• Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota
• Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah
• Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah
• Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada
• Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation, California
• Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico

A full list of the 105 locations now identified for implementation, can be found at: https://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/program-implementation-schedule.