Restorative Action Regarding Mineral Rights

Many years ago, the church received a bequest of mineral rights in North Dakota. In about 2010, as oil and gas extraction in North Dakota was beginning to boom, a developer offered to buy the church’s mineral rights. When the Session discussed the proposed sale, one member suggested the mineral rights be returned to Native Americans, but the Session didn’t take that suggestion seriously. The sale took place on June 21, 2011 for $25,000. (With inflation, $25,000 would be worth about $35,000 today.)

In September 2023, the Session approved a Land Acknowledgement statement that calls us "to move beyond words and to take action." The Racial and Indigenous Justice Team feels we are called to reconsider the 2011 sale of the mineral rights, and to take restorative action with respect to our financial windfall.

What might that restorative action look like?

One thought is to "return" (there might be a more appropriate word) $25,000 to a local Native American entity (TBD) from our general endowment, and to “return” $10,000 (representing inflation) from our annual budget at the rate of $2,000 per year over five years. A one-time allocation of $25,000 from the endowment could make a significant impact for the Native American entity, and annual allocations of $2,000 from the budget could inspire the congregation to remain conscious of the restorative action we are called to take with respect to our indigenous neighbors.