President Bush signed into law a bill to distribute $145 million to members of the Western Shoshone Nation.

The money is payment for 26 million acres of land Western Shoshone tribes lost to white encroachment and other actions. Some tribal activists object because they say they never lost legal title to the land.

About 6,000 tribal members would receive a one-time payment of about $20,000. The bill sets up a $1.5 million education trust fund.

Get the Story:
WESTERN SHOSHONE: Law frees funds for Indian lands (The Las Vegas Review-Journal 7/8)
Bush Signs Measure to Pay Western Shoshone for Land (AP 7/8)
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Bush signs law to pay Western Shoshone for ancestral lands (AP 7/7)

Relevant Links:
Western Shoshone Defense Project - http://www.wsdp.org

Relevant Documents:
NCAI Resolution | Senator Reid Letter

Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act:
Bill Report | H.R.884 | S.618

Related Stories:
Western Shoshone payout bill clears Congress (06/25)
Western Shoshone payout bill approved by House (06/22)
Western Shoshone payout bill delayed in House (06/03)
Support grows for Western Shoshone trust fund bill (05/07)
Western Shoshone bill faces another push in 2004 (01/13)
Western Shoshone leaders want U.S. to show ownership (10/27)
Senate approves $144M Western Shoshone payout bill (10/20)
Western Shoshones sue over 60M acres of land (09/30)
Senate panel approves Western Shoshone payout bill (07/17)
House panel considers Shoshone payout bill (06/19)
Reid says he would consider Shoshone land claims (03/14)
Western Shoshone payout bill reintroduced (02/26)
Indian bills faces uncertain future in Congress (11/18)
Senate approves Shoshone payout (11/14)
Opposition to Shoshone payout mounts (10/15)
BLM auctions seized Shoshone cattle (10/7)
U.S. asked to halt Shoshone auction (10/4)
BLM to auction seized Shoshone cattle (10/2)
Shoshone activists to stage protests (9/30)
Senate panel approves Shoshone payout (9/26)
Shoshone cattle seized, horses feared next (9/24)
Shoshone 'renegades' resist land payout (8/26)
Senate panel debates Shoshone payout bill (8/5)
Western Shoshone are 'homeless' (8/2)
Report finds human rights violations (8/1)
Shoshone land 'not for sale' (7/22)