Oops! Not all Indian teens receive $50K check at age 18
"Earlier this week, DiversityInc received complaints from some American Indian readers because of our video interview with Margot Copeland, executive vice president and director, Corporate Diversity and Philanthropy at KeyBank, No. 50 on The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list. In the video, discussing the bank’s efforts at financial literacy for traditionally under-represented communities, she stated: "We have initiatives around the Native American community. Many of the young people receive $50,000 when they turn 18 because of the treaty signed in the 1800s."

DiversityInc received seven comments from readers who said this had to be an error. We have researched Copeland’s statement, and spoken with her, and are issuing a correction. And we apologize for not checking the facts before airing the video.

For the record, Copeland did not intend to mislead anyone or further any stereotypes.

"My humble apologies to all if I misspoke,” she said. “I attended a conference in San Diego in 2006, which offered an off-site visit to a nearby tribal community. One of the speakers, who was a tribal leader, did use the $50,000 figure during his presentation, but I certainly should have verified the same before repeating the comment. I should have not left the impression that this practice was broadly applied.""

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Correction: American Indian Teens Don’t Get $50K When They Turn 18 (Diversity Inc 1/15)