In 1999 Marilyn and George Keepseagle from Fort Yates along with others, North Dakota files a suit against the Agriculture Department. The Obama administration settle the case for $680 million. The suit covers Native Americans with discrimination claims against USDA for the years 1981 to 1999.
The U.S. District Court recently ordered that it will accept written comments by mail from any Class member regarding the proposed modifications to the Keepseagle Settlement Agreement and the distribution of the leftover settlement funds. Class members include all of the following: successful claimants under Track A, successful claimants under Track B, and other Native American farmers or ranchers who applied for and were denied a loan from USDA from 1981 to 1999, whose claims in this case were denied for any reason or who did not file a claim.
Comments must be written and mailed to the Court with a postmark date no later than June 15, 2015. Comments should be addressed to:
Chambers of the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
333 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Additionally, there will be a hearing in-person before the Court on June 29, 2015 at 9:00 AM EST in Courtroom 24A at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, located at the above address. At this hearing, after Class Counsel and the counsel for Mrs. Marilyn Keepseagle present their arguments to the court, the Court will permit any Class member in attendance to speak regarding the two pending motions/proposals.
Additional notice regarding the comment period, and the current status of the case, has been sent by U.S. Mail to all claimants, and is available here.
The pending proposal to modify the cy pres provision of the settlement agreement, and Mrs. Keepseagle’s request that, over USDA’s objections, the funds be directed instead to provide additional payments to prevailing claimants are described in greater detail below.
Find out more!
http://www.indianfarmclass.com/
Denise Stevens
says:When will the supplement checks be mailed
Garrett Tartsah
says:I believe that with all the money left over from the keepseagle lawsuit this judge over seeing the lawsuit should see the need to resolve this issue exspeediantly an allow the current Farm and ranching organizations receive portions of this money to help train an start Indian families to be successful farmers an self sufficient from goverment hand outs. An able to farm their own land an prosper as we see the none Indians get richer on Indian lands they farm an receive USDA an FSA help. Use this 370 million to help our Indian people to be self sufficient before our goverment falls.
Genuine Native
says:This is absolutely ridiculous that we as Native American/American Indians “STILL” to this day 2015 have to go on and on to “one” white man that will make a decision on money that was awarded already. So what if there was that much left over, good for us. This isn’t a difficult decision. So why carry on until some of us don’t see the “another” round of payments. Technology and times have changed! Those attorney’s and judges need to also. This is history repeating itself. The boarding school mentality, the relocation era, keep us from what we already know how to do and what to do. Plain and simple, pay us the rest of the leftover money. Who is going to get hurt? This judge and sellars are totally disrespecting the Indian people. Hey judge say yes and get the payments in the mail! What is so difficult about that?! STOP treating the Keepseagles and us rancher/farmers waiting. Think about it not only affecting the rancher/farmer but the children that also benefit from this. The families as a whole.
RUDOLPH TARTSAH JR.
says:We the native american indian farmer, when we try to get ahead
and get something going for ourselfs on our trust lands to farm our own land, the other side has to step in all the time.
The USDA wants control of our keepseagle settlement. keepseagle -v-vilsack-, well we won our settlement, thanks to the Keepseagles. the settlement money belongs to us the indian farmer. seems like USDA THE WHITEMAN WORLD TRY TO KEEP US DOWN AND CONTROL OUR LIVES, JUST GIVE WHAT BELONGS TO US INDIAN FARMER. INDIAN FARMERS ARE ALWAYS PUT ON THE BACK BURNER. LEASEMAN, THINK THEY OWN OUR LAND, WELL WE CAN FARM JUST AS GOOD, WE DON’T GET THE MONEY USDA GIVE TO THE WHITE FARMER. SO, GIVE WHAT BELONGS TO US. THE BALANCE SO WE CAN BUY OUR FEED, HAY AND FARM OUR OWN LAND. AMEN.
Candace
says:Our farm was paid in full after my Grandfather died on an oil well by Sinclair Oil and Gas Insurance check when he worked on the blow out crew. My grandma and mom lived through the depression and the dust bowl days in Oklahoma. He was full- blood Cherokee and listed on the Cherokee Rolls. We did not owe any taxes on the property. They were always paid in a timely, manner. The farm was in Garfield County and the Garber aquifer was underneath it which furnished fresh water to half of Oklahoma. Candace Odom
Candace
says:My Grandmother and my Mother Marguerite Simmering and Virginia Mae Colbert owned the Wheat Farm outright. They also, owned the mineral rights and water rights. Under the Wheat Farm was the Garber Aqueduct which supplies fresh water to half of the people in South Oklahoma. If truth be told it was the water they wanted… My mother would never have sold the mineral and water rights. She went through the Depression and the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma and hung on the Farm. It’s just a shame that me and my husband were denied the right to farm and ranch for our family… because I was of Native American Heritage.
Candace Odom
says:After being denied by the FSA/USDA because I was full-blood Native American we lost our Wheat farm in Oklahoma which had been in our family and handed down through generations. Then, the man who bought it was a brother of a man who was in charge of the food stamp department in Oklahoma as a representative and he funneled funds to his brother to the tune of $500,000.00 a year. The largest appropriation to a farmer in Ok. It’s a shame now that the government wants to take away the money’s from the poor ranchers who won the funds and give it to a trust administrator who will withhold from Native Americans again. I agree they should divy it up among the poor farmers and ranchers who won the class-action.
Nawz Shitsu'umsch
says:Finally The Rights of a Native People are heard AHO!
genuine native
says:I agree with jamie. and the keepseagles should be allowed to modify thieir own case. If it wasn’t for them nobody would have got anything. That Porter Holder or Claryca Mandan should NOT be overseeing anything. Let the keepseagles be heard and listened to…and pay the leftovers to the ranchers/farmers that didn’t get it the first time around.
[email protected]
says:I am a keepseagle claimant .this was a case that took 20 yrs to get here.if all claimants would band together with new lawyers we may win.here’s the deal, if you go to any court and you win win your law suit its yours . sure the nonprofit was supposed to get money .but this is not a lawsuit for ever Indian just those who won the law suit
jamie white eyes
says:It’s the same as getting a settlement from any type of claim, if u we’re in a car accident and received a claim they don’t pay you half and put the rest in a non-profit organization in your behalf, they pay the you the full amount. That’s the way I see it, so they should just pay the rest of the money to the successful claimants.