The Department of the Interior announced today approval of a final membership roll of 631 persons who will be entitled to share in division of the assets of the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina that have been held in Federal trusteeship.
The roll was prepared by the Bureau of Indian Affairs with the advice and assistance of the Catawba Tribe under the terms of a 1959 law which provides for division of the tribal assets in Federal trust among the qualified members. A majority of the adult tribal members voted to accept the provisions of the law in balloting announced last June.
In accordance with previously announced procedures the final roll as now approved was put on display for a period of 30 days at several points ne8r Rock Hill, S. C., frequented by Catawba Indians to allow for protests against the inclusion or omission of names. No such protests were received.
The property to be divided among the tribal members has been estimated to have a value of about $190,000. It consists of 3,263.8 acres of land under trusteeship in York County, S. C., near Rock Hill; $6,000 cash proceeds from the sale of a tribal herd of 85 beef cattle; and nearly $5,000 of cash on deposit with the United States Treasury.
Once the division of assets is completed, the Catawba tribal members will no longer be eligible, under terms of the 1959 law, for special Federal services because of their status as Indians. Under Federal law they will be in exactly the same status as other citizens of the United States.
