The Bureau of Indian Affairs will prepare a roll of Brotherton Indians of Wisconsin who are entitled to share in the distribution of over $1 million in judgment funds awarded these Emigrant New York Indians by the Indian Claims Commission, the Department of the Interior announced today.
Emigrant New York Indians are those Indians who voluntarily left the New York area for Wisconsin in the 1800's. They include the Oneida Tribe and the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Community of Wisconsin.
The Brotherton Indians became entitled to a part of the judgment funds by virtue of buying into a treaty with the Menominee Indians in 1825, which gave them an interest in certain lands in the Green Bay area.
Later, the Government took part of this land without their consent, and it is for this land that the three tribes were awarded compensation.
The Oneida Tribe and Stockbridge-Munsee are organized modern entities, and their tribal rolls will only require updating to list those eligible for the benefits of the funds, BIA officials said.
For the Brotherton Indians, however, a modern roll will have to be prepared. Regulations being published in the Federal Register provide that all persons of at least one-fourth degree Emigrant New York Indian blood shall be eligible for listing on the roll, provided they were born on or before Sept 27, 1967, are not enrolled with either the Oneida or Stockbridge-Munsee Tribes, and postmark their applications for enrollment no later than July 1, 1968.
Applications must be filed with the Superintendent, Great Lakes Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Ashland, Wis. 54806.
Exact amount of the award to the Emigrant Indians of New York was $1,313,472.65, less attorneys' fees of 10 percent. The money is on deposit in the U.S. Treasury, drawing interest.
