Native American farmers want answers
AGWeek
Jerry Hagstrom
2010
WASHINGTON
April 5, 2010
EXCERPT
Black farmers signaled April 1 that they will be patient while Congress and the Obama administration try to find $1.15 billion to settle USDA discrimination cases, but the administration is now under pressure to settle a similar suit brought by Native American farmers.
Black, Native American, Hispanic and women farmers have all said USDA has not given them equal treatment with white farmers and did not provide them farm and housing loans in the same manner they provided them to whites.
The administration has been in negotiations with the Native American plaintiffs and the lawyers since December, but the court stay to permit the settlement discussions expires April 21. Joe Sellers, an attorney for the Native American plaintiffs, said April 1 that the two sides have exchanged offers for a closed-end fund similar to the one in Pigford II under which the plaintiffs would agree to a total amount of money to be split among all plaintiffs.
Sellers said the money would come from the Justice Department’s judgment fund and that no appropriation would be required. No estimate of the settlement amount has been released. Sellers said it is difficult to estimate the number of Native American farmers who will come forward because USDA kept such poor records in past years.