A total of $38.5 million was awarded eight Indian tribes in judgments handed down by the Indian Claims Commission during calendar year 1964, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported today. Appropriations to meet the judgments were made during the year in six of the eight cases.
Judgment funds from land claims settlements are held in trust for the tribes by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Programs for use of the funds are developed by tribal governing bodies and approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
During the past four years, the Bureau, with considerable success, has encouraged tribal governments to use their judgment money for college and university scholarships, investment in business and industrial enterprises to stimulate Indian employment, development of natural resources, and improvement of community facilities on reservations. Individuals have also been helped to improve homes, farms, and other enterprises through family improvement programs based on judgment awards.
The Indian Claims Commission, an independent tribunal, was created by Congress in 1946 to hear and determine claims of tribes, bands, and other identifiable groups of American Indians living in the United States. More than 850 claims have since been filed, of which about 25 per cent have been finally adjudicated. Awards totaling nearly $140 million have been granted.
Claims Commission judgments during 1964 were:
Settled and appropriated for:
| Tribe: | Award: | Date of Award: | Appropriated |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Klamath and Modoc Tribes &Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians (known as the Klamath Tribe of the former Klamath Reservation of Oregon) |
$2,500,000.00 | 1-31-64 | 6-9-64 |
|
Omaha Tribe of Nebr. (Nebraska) |
1,750,000 | 4-14-64 | 6-9-64 |
| Otoe & Missouria Tribe (now in Oklahoma) | 1,750,000 | 4-14-64 | 6-9-64 |
|
*Pembina Band of Chippewa (centered in Turtle Mountain, North Dakota with descendants found elsewhere in North Dakota and in Montana and Minnesota) |
237,127.82 | 4-24-64 | 6-9-64 |
|
Red Lake Band of Chippewa (Minnesota) |
1,797,761.74 | 4-24-64 | 6-9-64 |
|
Indians of California (Calif.) |
29,100,000.00 | 7-20-64 | 10-7-64 |
| Total | 37,134,889.56 |
Settled and awaiting appropriations:
| Emigrant New York (now known as the Oneidas, Stockbridge-Munsee and Brotherton Indians of Wisconsin) | 1,313,472.65 | 8-11-64 | - - |
| Seminole Nation of Okla. (Oklahoma) | 63,680,000 | 12-23-64 | - - |
| Total | 1,377,152.65 | ||
| Grand Total | 38,512,042.21 |
*On appeal and beneficiaries have not been determined.
