The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is moving forward with a federal program designed to return land to American Indian tribes.The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with the tribe to implement a land buy-back program.The program was created as part of a class-action settlement between 500,000 American Indians and the United States government. The settlement provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional land interests and restore them to tribal ownership.The dispute began in the 1880s when Congress divided tribal lands into parcels that were assigned to individual Indians. The settlement is intended to strengthen tribal sovereignty by consolidating fractional land interests for communal uses, such as providing new housing sites or roads.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is moving forward with a federal program designed to return land to American Indian tribes.



The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with the tribe to implement a land buy-back program.




The program was created as part of a class-action settlement between 500,000 American Indians and the United States government. The settlement provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional land interests and restore them to tribal ownership.



The dispute began in the 1880s when Congress divided tribal lands into parcels that were assigned to individual Indians. The settlement is intended to strengthen tribal sovereignty by consolidating fractional land interests for communal uses, such as providing new housing sites or roads.