WASHINGTON – In June and July 2019, the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations mailed more than $140 million in purchase offers to more than 18,000 owners of fractional land interests at the Navajo Nation. The deadline for landowners to return their voluntary purchase offers was either August 30, 2019, or September 30, 2019, depending on the offer cover letter date.
The Land Buy-Back Program was part of a $3.4 billion settlement of a class-action suit, Elouise Pepion Cobell, et al. v. Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of Interior. Native Americans claimed that the government had mismanaged tribal property that it was supposed to be holding in trust.
According to the Department of the Interior, due to the large number of fractional land interests at the Navajo Nation, the Buy-Back Program sent purchase offers to landowners in two different mailing waves. The two mailing waves are based on various land areas across the Navajo Reservation. Individuals may own, and receive offers for, interests in land in multiple land areas.
The first wave of offers were for interests in certain lands in New Mexico with a corresponding land area code (LAC) of 791. The offers had a cover letter date of July 1, 2019.
The second wave of offers had a cover letter dated August 1, 2019, and was sent to Navajo Nation landowners for interests at the following LACs: 722 (Ramah), 723 (Alamo), 724 (To’hajiilee), 790 (Arizona), and 792 (Utah). Landowners who received offers for interests owned in one or more of these five LACs have until September 30, 2019, to consider and return accepted offers in the pre-paid postage envelopes provided.
“We are proud of the initial Buy-Back Program implementation at the Navajo Nation. The Program achieved significant results and transferred more than 155,000 equivalent acres of land to the Navajo Nation,” said Principal Deputy Special Trustee Jerry Gidner. “We must continue our government-to-government collaboration to make the current round of implementation a success, while also ensuring that landowners understand their options, and have access to the information they need for an informed decision.”