Utah Dineh Corporation Inc facts for kids
The Utah Dineh Corporation is a special group that helps manage money from oil found on Navajo land in Utah. This land is mostly in the Utah Navajo part of San Juan County, Utah.
This organization was created because the government office that used to handle this money, the Special Trustee for American Indians, said it couldn't manage it properly anymore.
Right now, leaders in the US Senate are still deciding if the Utah Dineh Corporation will be allowed to take over managing this important oil money.
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How the Utah Dineh Corporation Started
A person named Ross Swimmer suggested that the Navajo Nation or a group of Navajo citizens should manage their own oil money. This idea would give the Utah Navajos a chance to make their own decisions about their future, which is called self-determination. So, the Utah Dineh Corporation was formed to handle these oil funds.
On June 16, 2008, some important Navajo leaders, including Kenneth Maryboy, Davis Filfred, and Mark Maryboy, went to Washington, D.C. They were joined by Phil Lyman, a commissioner from San Juan County, Utah. They showed the U.S. Congress a plan for how the Utah Navajos could easily take over managing their oil money from the State of Utah.
Later, on December 8, 2009, the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee held two meetings in Washington, D.C. These meetings were important steps in discussing the future of the Utah Navajo oil funds.
Understanding Senate Bill 1690
Senate Bill 1690 is a proposed law that aims to give the Utah Dineh Corporation the power and resources to manage the oil money. This bill was supported by Representative Robert Bennett from Utah.
If this bill passes, the Utah Navajos would use this non-profit organization to manage their funds. The Utah Dineh Corporation has a board of directors with members from different Utah Navajo communities. This group was created to follow the rules set by laws from 1933 and 1968 about managing these funds.
The Corporation plans to hire a professional investment company to help manage the money. They will also set up clear ways to make sure the money collected and the profits earned are used to help the Navajo people, as intended by the original trust fund.
What the Utah Dineh Corporation Aims To Do
The main goal of Senate Bill 1690 is to name a new group, the Utah Dineh Corporation, to manage the oil money. This would allow the Utah Navajos to control their own financial resources.
San Juan County, Utah provides many services to the seven Utah Navajo communities, like police, fire, and road maintenance. The Navajo Nation itself does not provide these services in these areas. So, the Utah Dineh Corporation wants to provide money to help support these important services in cooperation with San Juan County.
As Council Delegate Maryboy explained, the idea of Utah Navajos controlling millions of dollars from their own land has made others more interested in the Navajo people living in Utah.
See also
- Senate Bill 1690
- Navajo Nation
