Washington Post - Farmers See Ray of Hope in USDA Bias Case
Washington Post
Kari Lydersen
9/29/2009
George and Marilyn Keepseagle worry they will lose their North Dakota home on the Standing Rock reservation after a half century of ranching. Claryca Mandan had to trade her cattle and crops for an office job. Montana rancher Luther Crasco declared bankruptcy after being denied a loan for a crucial irrigation system.
They are among thousands of Native American farmers and ranchers covered by a class-action lawsuit against the Agriculture Department alleging widespread racial discrimination in loan programs meant to be a resource of last resort for those turned down by banks.
The Agriculture Department has acknowledged problems in the past, and Secretary Tom Vilsack has stressed his commitment to improving diversity and equal opportunity in the agency, USDA spokesman Justin DeJong said.
The lawsuit was filed 10 years ago, but plaintiffs hope they may finally get a settlement under the Obama administration.
The Keepseagle suit seeks compensation for Native American farmers and ranchers who alleged discrimination in the USDA's loan program between 1981 and 1999. Lead attorney Joseph M. Sellers thinks tens of thousands of people denied a total of $3 billion in credit could be included in the class. Using USDA formulas, he estimates that plaintiffs are owed up to $1 billion in lost income; they are not seeking punitive damages.