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JUNE 7, 2000

The federal government has offered the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota a $53.5 million settlement over its long standing forestry management dispute with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The settlement calls for $40 million to be put into a permanent trust for forest management and tribal government. The remaining $13.5 would be paid to tribal members.

Of allegations of mismanagement, Red Lake Treasurer Dan King told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the "BIA allowed a lot of problems and did nothing to manage the forests. It allowed the big companies to come in and take the timber."

The tribe began its suit in the 1980s. If the tribe rejects the proposal, they would go to court to resolve the mismanagement allegations.

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Tribe offered $53.5 million timber settlement (AP 6/7)