The University of Montana will house a new facility that's dedicated to the legacy of Elouise Cobell, who was the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit.

The Elouise Cobell Land and Culture Institute will be located within the Payne Family Native American Center. It will help students research Indian land and tribal cultural issues.

“Elouise had a voracious appetite for justice, and she was an inspiration to me and so many other people,” Terry Payne, whose family led the funding effort for the Native American Center, said at the dedication ceremony, The Missoulian reported.

The facility will cost $1.2 million. Construction will begin this summer and last about a year.

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Payne Family Native American Center honors Cobell (The Montana Kaimin 3/7)
Native land, culture institute at UM to honor Elouise Cobell (The Missoulian 3/7)
New UM center named for Native American leader Elouise Cobell (KXLF-TV 3/6)