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Settlement amounts in tribal trust cases cover big range





The Obama administration announced trust settlements with 41 tribes on Wednesday, with confirmed amounts ranging from $25,000 to $193 million.

On the lower end, the Nooksack Tribe in Washington will receive $25,000. On the higher end, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana will receive $150 million while the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington will receive $193 million, an amount previously announced.

Other confirmed settlement amounts include almost $34 million for the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, nearly $33 million for the Mescalero Apache Nation of New Mexico, $75 million for the Fort Peck Tribes of Montana and $11.4 million for the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine.

In total, the federal government will pay $1.023 billion to settle the trust mismanagement cases. The Obama administration did not release the individual amounts for each tribe but some of the settlements have been entered into the records in federal court.

The money for the settlements will come from the Judgment Fund, meaning it won't require Congressional approval.

Get the Story:
N.M. Tribes Share In $1 Billion Accord (AP 4/12)
Feds agree to settlement that includes Quechan (Cronkite News Service 4/12)
Government to Pay Tribes $1 Billion (The Wall Street Journal 4/12)
Obama Moves to Settle 41 Tribal Trust Cases for $1 Billion (Indian Country Today 4/11)

Related Stories:
Tribal leaders hail $1B in trust management settlements (4/11)
DOI/DOJ press release on $1B in tribal trust settlements (4/11)
White House event on settlements in tribal trust lawsuits (4/11)
Ute Tribe in Utah announces trust management settlement (04/06)
Passamaquoddy Tribe reaches $11.4M trust fund settlement (4/2)
Colville Tribes debate uses for $193M trust fund settlement (03/30)
White House official also hopeful for tribal trust settlements (03/06)
Expect more announcements of tribal trust fund settlements (3/1)
Fort Peck Tribes reach $75M trust management settlement (2/28)
Colville Tribes reach $193M trust management settlement (2/27)

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