25 U.S.C. § 380 — Lease of inherited allotments by superintendent

Restricted land allotments belonging to deceased Indians can be leased by the superintendent of the reservation where the land is located. Leases for oil and gas mining are not allowed under this rule. The superintendent can lease the land in two situations: (1) when the decedent's heirs or devisees have not yet been determined; or (2) when the heirs or devisees have been determined, but the land is not being used by any of them, and the heirs have not been able to agree on a lease for a three-month period — because there are too many heirs, some are away from the reservation, or for some other reason. The Secretary of the Interior sets the rules for how these leases work. The money made from these leases is credited to the estate or account of each person entitled to it, based on their individual share.