Senate Delays Cobell and Pigford Settlements

Senate Delays Cobell and Pigford Settlements



Save The Sacred Sites Alliance Supports The Cobell and Pigford Settlements, but not with the Harris Neck Area which has Indigenous burials and ancient village sites included in the Pigford settlement.



Tell the Senate: Stop Supporting the Abuse of Native Americans’ Rights


Tell the Senate: Stop Supporting the Abuse of Native Americans’ Rights Edit this entry

Sign the petition:
Go to http://www.cange.org/villageearth
Or, visit the Village Earth facebook page, and follow the posted link from there!

For over a century, Native Americans have suffered gross injustices from the United States government. Congress now has until August 6 to authorize the Cobell Settlement, which will finally acknowledge the government’s continued abuse of Native land rights- a long overdue and crucial opportunity to begin healing the scars of our nation’s deplorable past (and present).

The $3.4 billion settlement ended a 14-year class-action lawsuit brought against the U.S. Department of Interior by some 300,000 Native American land owners, who argued that the government failed to pay them $42 billion in lease revenue collected by the government over the past 120 years.

After years of stalling, the government finally conceded and agreed to settle with the plaintiffs in December 2009. According to the lead plaintiff, Eloise Cobell, “there is little doubt this is significantly less than the full amount to which individual Indians are entitled.” Yet the plaintiffs agreed to the settlement, mostly out of desperation.

December marked an important milestone for Native Americans across the country, yet the settlement is useless without the congressional approval needed to enact the law and authorize implementation.

The settlement has passed multiple times in the House, but the Senate continues to block it. Most recently, the House attached the settlement to a war-funding bill to increase chances of approval in the Senate. On July 22 the Senate passed the war-funding bill, but made sure to strip the Cobell settlement from the bill first. It is now up to the House (again) to find another way to get this important legislation passed.

The deadline for congressional authorization has been extended five times, and with this latest deadline so close to the date Congress leaves for its August recess, this may be our last chance.

Tell Congress to act now to approve the Cobell Settlement before the August 6 deadline.

After a century of injustice, a 14-year legal battle, and seven months of delays in Congress, how much longer will the plaintiffs have to wait for justice?

Sign the petition urging the Senate to stop blocking this crucial settlement!
(http://www.change.org/villageearth)

There can be no more excuses, no more delays. Congress must approve the Cobell Settlement now.

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The Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
Press release
August 2, 2010
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For Immediate Release: August 2, 2010
The Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
Contact: Heather Gray
404 765 0991
PRESS ADVISORY:

Senate Delays Pigford Bill Consideration Until August 4

ATLANTA....We have been informed by Senate leadership that the stand alone bill on Pigford and Cobell has been delayed until Wednesday, August 4. We will offer more details as they become available. The Budget calls for $1.25 billion ($1.15 billion from settlement and $100 million from the 2008 Farm Bill).

Members of the Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
Mississippi Family Farmers Association
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project
Rural Advancement Fund
Operation Springplant
Texas Landowners Association
United Farmers USA

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(August 1 release)
Reid to Offer Stand Alone Bill on Pigford Lawsuit
On Monday August 2 the Senate Will Consider the Pigford Settlement
Black farmers are dying while waiting for justice

ATLANTA....After several attempts in Congress to provide funding for the Pigford settlement, on Monday, August 2 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will offer Pigford, along with the Native American Cobell Land Trust case, as a stand alone bill. Reid will ask the Senate for "unanimous consent" in which there can be no opposition.

The Black farmer lawsuit against the USDA, known as Pigford v Vilsack, has been attached to any number of bills working their way through Congress. In the divisive US Senate, these efforts have repeatedly resulted in the stripping away of numerous domestic spending items including the Pigford and Cobell settlements. As the Senate is about begin it's August recess, one more effort will be attempted.

Many in the Senate have asked that the Pigford and Cobell settlements be offered as a stand-alone bill and that they be paid for by offsets. Both these requirements will be met as Senator Reid offers the bill.

It has been more than 10 years that thousands of farmers filed petitions in the Pigford lawsuit. Some of these farmers have now died, some are retired or disabled, some have lost their land and some are still farming. The fact is that justice delayed is justice denied. Congress has delayed this justice for too long!

"The Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates" demands justice for Black farmers and that the Senate finally offer a remedy to farmers by providing the necessary funding of $1.15 billion so that the case can proceed without further delay.

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Members of the Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
Mississippi Family Farmers Association
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project
Rural Advancement Fund
Operation Springplant
Texas Landowners Association
United Farmers USA



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