A quote by SMNS "Don't inconvenience others, to convenience yourself"
Begin forwarded message: > From: "Native American Rights Fund (NARF)" <c+n...@trusted-sender.convio.net> > Date: 17 May, 2012 12:56:21 PM EDT > Subject: Federal Judge Approves Trust Case Settlements > Reply-To: "Native American Rights Fund (NARF)" <eact...@narf.org> > > View This Message Online > > PRESS RELEASE > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 17, 2012 > > FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melody McCoy or John Echohawk at (303) > 447-8760 > > > > Federal Judge Approves Over $350 Million in Tribal Trust Case Settlements > for 25 NARF Clients > > Boulder, CO – At a public hearing at the U.S. District Court for the District > of Columbia in Washington, DC Judge Thomas F. Hogan yesterday approved > settlement agreements for 25 tribes represented by the Native American Rights > Fund (NARF). The settlements end cases that have been in the Court for six to > ten years against the United States government over claims by tribes for > historical breach of trust accounting and trust funds and trust resources > management duties. > > NARF’s clients were among 35 tribes whose settlements were approved. Brooklyn > Baptiste, the Vice Chair of the Tribal Executive Council of the Nez Perce > Tribe located in Idaho was among NARF’s clients to attend the hearing. The > Nez Perce Tribe served as the lead plaintiff in a case filed by NARF in 2006. > “We were happy to head up a fight that has led to the resolution of so many > tribal claims,” said Vice Chair Baptiste. > > Following an opening summary by attorneys for the United States, NARF Staff > Attorney Melody McCoy addressed the Court’s queries about the scope and > fairness of the historic settlements. She assured the Court that the > settlements involved only the claims of the respective Tribes, that each > Tribe made an informed and independent decision regarding its own settlement > terms and that the settlements were the product of arms’ length high level > government to government negotiations. > > The United States attorney in Court credited the initiation of the unique > settlement process in these cases to a letter written to President Obama in > September 2009 by NARF and other attorneys on behalf of dozens of tribes in > trust cases. The letter reminded the President of his campaign promise to > tribal leaders to seek fair settlement of the over 100 cases filed by tribes > against the government that the Obama Administration would inherit. “Now, > less than four years later, we have these settlements of century old claims,” > said NARF Executive Director John Echohawk. “It’s remarkable, but it can be > done.” > > The total amount that the government will pay under the 25 court approved > NARF client settlements is over $350 million. The Court’s approval of the > settlements triggers payment from the Department of the Treasury to the > settling tribes which is expected to occur within the next six to eight > weeks. NARF continues to work on settlement of more than twenty of its > remaining tribal clients’ historical breach of trust claims. > > The Native American Rights Fund is a non-profit organization that has been > protecting the legal and sovereign rights of tribes and Native people within > the American legal system for more than 41 years. NARF is headquartered in > Boulder, Colorado with offices in Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. > > Native American Rights Fund > 1506 Broadway > Boulder, CO 80302 > 303-447-8760 > > # # # > > > > > ©2012 Native American Rights Fund
