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MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2002

Congress is poised to pass legislation to distribute a $120 million trust fund to about 5,000 Western Shoshone tribal members in Nevada.

The payout is compensation for land that the Shoshone tribes "lost" to white settlement. The Indian Claims Commission authorized the money but opponents have refused to accept the money, citing an 1863 treaty with the U.S.

Since the treaty was of peace and friendship, the Bush administration says it never recognized the Western Shoshone's title to 23 million acres of land.

Get the Story:
A Fair Settlement, or Just Settling? (The Washington Post 8/26)

Get the Bill:
S. 958, A bill to provide for the use and distribution of the funds awarded to the Western Shoshone identifiable group.

Relevant Documents:
Written Witness Testimony (8/2) | Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Report | Cover Letter | Summary of Conclusions

Relevant Links:
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights - http://www.cidh.oas.org/DefaultE.htm
Dann Tresspass Questions and Answers, Bureau of Land Management (Note: the IACHR refers to this document in its cover letter) - http://www.nv.blm.gov/News.Releases/keepdonotuse/
danns/DannQ&A02RevMar30.htm
Western Shoshone Treaty of Ruby Valley, 1863 - http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/
shoshone/ruby_valley.html

Related Stories:
Senate panel debates Shoshone payout bill (8/5)
Western Shoshone are 'homeless' (8/2)
Report finds human rights violations (8/1)
Shoshone land 'not for sale' (7/22)