The Indian Trust Fund is an account that holds all the moneys collected, received, or held by the Crown for the “use and benefit” of First Nations. There is significant confusion, mythology and a lack of clarity around this fund.
Full Answer
How long does it take to receive an Indian trust settlement?
The second group, the Trust Class, will receive checks within six months (most receive at least $500 or more). Because the overall Indian Trust Settlement is a bit complicated, I will break down the details so that everyday people like us can understand how we will be paid So basically, there are two classes of payments that Alaska is eligible for:
What was the date of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Act?
October 25, 1994, is the date of passage of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 and was stipulated to in the settlement agreement between the parties. Are Cobell Settlement checks issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, and not the U.S. Treasury, valid?
What is the total settlement amount for the estate tax case?
This settlement amount totals $3.4 billion dollars and is broken in two parts: $1.5 billion to Historical Class and Trust Administration Class (Trust Class) members and $1.9 billion to buy back small inherited land interest.
Will the Treasury issue settlement checks for historical accounting class payments?
The U.S. Treasury will not issue settlement checks for Historical Accounting Class payments, also referred to as Stage 1 payments, or for the Trust Administration Class payments, also referred to as Stage 2 payments.
Where to send documents to Indian Trust Settlement?
What is the settlement amount for IIM?
What was the purpose of the Doi lawsuit?
When did the DOI settle the lawsuit?
When did Alaska Natives open IIM accounts?
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About this website
What is an IIM account?
An Individual Indian Money (IIM) account is an interest-bearing account managed by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) on behalf of an individual who has money or other assets held in trust for them by the Federal government.
How much was the Cobell settlement?
$3.4 billionThe Cobell settlement was approved by Congress on November 30, 2010 (Claims Resolution Act of 2010) and signed by President Obama on December 8, 2010. The $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement includes a $1.9 billion Trust Land Consolidation Fund and $1.5 billion in direct payments to class members.
What is a Wau settlement?
Despite extensive efforts to contact all potential claimants, there still remain several thousand Individual Indian Money (IIM) account holders who are classified as “whereabouts unknown" (WAU). These WAU accounts total millions of dollars in potential settlement payments.
How do I find out if I have an IIM account?
How do I know if I have an IIM account? If you aren't sure if you have an IIM account, you can request an IIM ledger report from the Office of the Special Trustee (OST). If you have an account, your IIM ledger report will tell you your balance and any deposits made into the account since it was established.
How much money does a Native American get from the government?
Ever wonder how much assistance the federal government allocates to American Indian tribes and communities each year? It comes to about $20 billion a year, give or take a few hundred million dollars, a document from the Department of the Interior shows.
How much money is in the Indian trust fund?
$634 millionHow much money is in the Indian Trust Fund today? At present, the Indian Trust balance sits at over $634 million. This money is mostly divided into two types of Indian Moneys held in trust: $400 million in Capital Moneys: All money that comes from the sale of surrendered lands or capital assets.
Who pays Native American tribes?
The U.S. government officially recognizes 574 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. These federally recognized tribes are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, either directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts.
How many American Indians accounts did the Cobell lawsuit ask the federal government to provide accounting for?
300,000 individual IndianThe Native American Rights Fund and private co-counsel filed this class action case in federal district court in Washington, D.C. in 1996 to force the federal government to provide an accounting to approximately 300,000 individual Indian money account holders who have their funds held in trust by the federal government ...
What was the Salazar settlement?
The case was settled for $3.4 billion in 2009. $1.4 billion was allocated to be paid to the plaintiffs and $2 billion allocated to repurchase fractionated land interests from those distributed under the Dawes Act and to return it to reservations and communal tribal ownership.
Do trust funds earn interest?
If you are wondering do trust funds gain interest, the answer is “yes, it is possible.” However, they must hold assets that produce income. A trust fund is a type of account that holds a variety of assets for your beneficiaries. Some assets, like a savings account, produce interest, while others do not.
How do I get my IIM account?
The individual may obtain a statement of their IIM account directly from the Office of Trust Funds Management through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) by requesting the information in person or by making a telephone request.
How do I claim Indian money?
Every tribe has their own specific requirements, but mostly you'll need to provide:Birth certificate.Social Security Card.Proof of lineage – usually going back three generations and/ or having a parent enrolled with the tribe.Application fee – which can run from $5 to $20.
What was the Salazar settlement?
The case was settled for $3.4 billion in 2009. $1.4 billion was allocated to be paid to the plaintiffs and $2 billion allocated to repurchase fractionated land interests from those distributed under the Dawes Act and to return it to reservations and communal tribal ownership.
How many American Indians accounts did the Cobell lawsuit ask the federal government to provide accounting for?
300,000 individual IndianThe Native American Rights Fund and private co-counsel filed this class action case in federal district court in Washington, D.C. in 1996 to force the federal government to provide an accounting to approximately 300,000 individual Indian money account holders who have their funds held in trust by the federal government ...
What is the Cobell litigation?
The Cobell litigation sprang out of the federal government's trust responsibility with respect to three groups of money accounts held in trust for individual Indian beneficiaries. These accounts are commonly referred to as the Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts.
What is the Carcieri fix?
A Carcieri fix would advance tribal sovereignty and benefit tribal economies. Trust land is a special legal status by which title to land is acquired by the federal government and held for the benefit of tribal nations or Native people.
How To Check Your IIMILC Account Online - IIM Indore ...
Indian Institute of Management Indore Prabandh Shikhar, Rau-Pithampur Road Indore - 453556, Madhya Pradesh, India
Find Native American Indian Trust Funds | Unclaimed Assets
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) holds 11 million acres in trust for Native Americans. Money from timber sales, agricultural and oil leases is distributed under the Individual Indian Monies (IIM) program.
Unclaimed Individual Indian Monies and Tribal Trust Accounts - Bureau ...
Posted by Diane (63.208.238.162) on December 08, 2001 at 10:22:41: . In Reply to: Re: More On USGS Being Ordered out of Business posted by Diane on December 08, 2001 at 09:24:06: Interior Dept. Blacks Out Web Sites Following Court Order Friday, December 07, 2001 By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos WASHINGTON — If you're planning a trip to one of America's national parks soon and browsing the Web for ...
Cobell v. Salazar - Wikipedia
Cobell v. Salazar (previously Cobell v.Kempthorne and Cobell v.Norton and Cobell v.Babbitt) is a class-action lawsuit brought by Elouise Cobell and other Native American representatives in 1996 against two departments of the United States government: the Department of Interior and the Department of the Treasury for mismanagement of Indian trust funds.
COBELL v. SALAZAR | FindLaw
United States Court of Appeals,District of Columbia Circuit. Elouise Pepion COBELL, et al., Appellants/Cross-Appellees v. Kenneth Lee SALAZAR, Secretary of the Interior, et al., Appellees/Cross-Appellants.
Application to Withdraw Tribal Funds from Trust Status
OMB Control No. 1035-0003 . Expires: 01/31/2016 . OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS . OFFICE OF TRUST FUNDS MANAGEMENT. Application to Withdraw Tribal Funds from Trust Status
Where to send documents to Indian Trust Settlement?
For details on the documents needed in connection with estates, visit www.indiantrust.com or contact the claims administrator by calling 1-800-961-6109; emailing [email protected]; or sending correspondence to Indian Trust Settlement, PO Box 9577, Dublin OH 43017-4877.
What is the settlement amount for IIM?
The settlement provides for a $1.5 billion fund to compensate an estimated 500,000 affected individual trust beneficiaries who have or had IIM accounts or owned trust land, ...
What was the purpose of the Doi lawsuit?
The lawsuit aimed to force the federal government to conduct an accurate accounting of IIMs and to reform the recordkeeping system going forward.
When did the DOI settle the lawsuit?
In late 2010, after nearly 15 years of litigation, the class action litigation initiated by key plaintiff Elouise Cobell v. Salazar against the Department of Interior (DOI) settled for $3.4 billion, and then-President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the reimbursement of funds to eligible class members. The final deadline for submitting documentation so that payment can be made has been set by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (the “Court”) as Nov. 27, 2017. Unfortunately, thousands of people who are eligible to receive funds have yet to come forward, others have failed to keep their addresses current with the claims administrator and still others have passed away and their heirs have yet to present a death certificate and/or the necessary documentation to substantiate the right to inherit.
When did Alaska Natives open IIM accounts?
30, 2009, who had an open IIM account anytime between Oct. 25, 1994 and Sept . 30, 2009, and whose account had at least one cash transaction.
How to contact Indian Trust Settlement?
Specific questions about your account, such as how much payments will be, should be directed to your Indian Trust Settlement attorney’s call center: 1-800-961-6109.
Who was the historical class payment mailed to?
Historical Class payments were mailed to Native allotment owners who had at least one cash transaction in their account- cash that may have been paid for a land sale, rent, a right of way, or permit.
When was the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act passed?
October 25, 1994 , is the date of passage of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 and was stipulated to in the settlement agreement between the parties. Back to Top.
Who is responsible for Cobell settlement?
GCG, the claims administrator for the Cobell Settlement, is responsible for settlement payments and mailing those checks. Please direct questions about payments and to update your information to GCG at their toll-free number: 1-800-961-6109. TBCC can answer questions about your Individual Indian Money (IIM) account and your trust assets.
Why is TBCC working?
TBCC is also working to increase infrastructure and personnel resources so that it can respond to the high volume of calls being received. Until these changes are accomplished, OST extends regrets for the delays and thanks each caller for showing patience.
What is the number to call for Cobell Settlement?
Provide information to the call center of Garden City Group (GCG), the claims administrator for the Cobell Settlement, at their toll-free number, 1-800-961-6109. I have tried to contact both the Garden City Group and then the Trust Beneficiary Call Center and have not been able to get through. I encounter a busy signal or a message ...
What is trust administration class?
2) "Trust Administration Class" means individual Indians (excluding those who filed actions on their own behalf or as part of a group certified in a class action, stating breach of trust and mismanagement of trust funds or land resources) alive as of September 30, 2009, and who have or had IIM Accounts in the "Electronic Ledger Era" (currently available electronic data in systems of the Department of the Interior dating from approximately 1985 to the present), as well as individual Indians who, as of September 30, 2009, had a recorded or other demonstrable ownership interest in land held in trust or restricted status, regardless of the existence of an IIM Account and regardless of the proceeds, if any, generated from the Land. The Trust Administration Class does not include beneficiaries deceased as of September 30, 2009, but does include the estate of any deceased beneficiary whose IIM Accounts or other trust assets had been open in probate as of September 30, 2009. The estate of any Trust Administration Class Member who dies after September 30, 2009, but before distribution is included in the Trust Administration Class.
Where to find IIM account holders?
Go online to www.doi.gov/ost/wau to search for names of IIM account holders whose accounts are on the WAU list.
When were IIM funds wired to the Department of the Interior?
Why were IIM funds wired to the Department of the Interior on December 21, 2012, not available until December 27, 2012?
Where to send documents to Indian Trust Settlement?
For details on the documents needed in connection with estates, visit www.indiantrust.com or contact the claims administrator by calling 1-800-961-6109; emailing [email protected]; or sending correspondence to Indian Trust Settlement, PO Box 9577, Dublin OH 43017-4877.
What is the settlement amount for IIM?
The settlement provides for a $1.5 billion fund to compensate an estimated 500,000 affected individual trust beneficiaries who have or had IIM accounts or owned trust land, ...
What was the purpose of the Doi lawsuit?
The lawsuit aimed to force the federal government to conduct an accurate accounting of IIMs and to reform the recordkeeping system going forward.
When did the DOI settle the lawsuit?
In late 2010, after nearly 15 years of litigation, the class action litigation initiated by key plaintiff Elouise Cobell v. Salazar against the Department of Interior (DOI) settled for $3.4 billion, and then-President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the reimbursement of funds to eligible class members. The final deadline for submitting documentation so that payment can be made has been set by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (the “Court”) as Nov. 27, 2017. Unfortunately, thousands of people who are eligible to receive funds have yet to come forward, others have failed to keep their addresses current with the claims administrator and still others have passed away and their heirs have yet to present a death certificate and/or the necessary documentation to substantiate the right to inherit.
When did Alaska Natives open IIM accounts?
30, 2009, who had an open IIM account anytime between Oct. 25, 1994 and Sept . 30, 2009, and whose account had at least one cash transaction.