$380 Million More to Benefit Farmers, Ranchers in Keepseagle Compromise

Record Number: 
LEE0002
Citation: 

Lee, Tanya H. "$380 Million More to Benefit Farmers, Ranchers in Keepseagle Compromise." Indian Country. May 2, 2016.

Annotation: 

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan approved the creation of a $265 million Native American-controlled trust that will benefit Native American farmers and ranchers. The money that will be used is left over from a 2011 settlement.

Back in 1999, two Sioux Indians filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government accusing the government of discriminating against Native American farmers. The case was eventually settled in 2010 for $680 million. However, because of deaths among clients in the time it took to settle the case, along with other issues, a large number of claims went unpaid.

After more negotiating, a compromise was reached on April 20, 2016, in which $265 million was set to “capitalize the Native American Agriculture Fund, a trust that over the next 20 years will make awards to nonprofits, including tribal colleges and CDFIs that serve AI/AN farmers and ranchers.”

Sullivan also appointed trustees for the Native American Agriculture Fund. One of the trustees is a Lumbee, Charles Graham. The rest of the trustees are listed in the article.

First Appeared in 1994 Book?: 
no
Publication Type: 
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