US will pay tribes nearly $1B under settlement approved by judge
A federal judge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has approved a settlement in which the federal government will pay nearly $1 billion to settle claims by Native American tribes.
U.S. District Judge James Parker gave final approval to the $940 million settlement Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. Another Associated Press article provides more details about the deal, which settles claims that the U.S. Interior Department underpaid tribes for overseeing federal Bureau of Indian Affairs programs.
Nearly 700 tribes are expected to claim compensation. The largest payment, an estimated $58 million, may go to the Navajo Nation.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers will receive 8.5 percent of the settlement amount, according to the AP. Michael Gross, a lawyer for the tribes, said there were no objections to the settlement or the fee request. “This showed a unity among Indian tribes that is absolutely astounding,” he said.
