More than 2,000 Dakota descendants are part of a trust fund lawsuit that has gained momentum in the courts.

The Dakota, or Mdewakanton, filed a claim against the United States for breach of trust. The plaintiffs, a group that includes Sheldon Peters Wolfchild, the chairman of the Lower Sioux Community of Minnesota, say they are owed money from land that was set aside for their ancestors in the late 1800s.

Judge Charles Lettow of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims agrees the plaintiffs have a claim. In two rulings, he has said the federal government created a trust to benefit the Dakota descendants but failed to maintain the land and any proceeds from it.

According to the plaintiffs, the land in question is now being used to run three of the most successful casinos in Minnesota. But the Department of Justice says that isn't the case.

The plaintiffs are working to identify more descendants, including some as far away as Nebraska. They must submit a list by the end of April.

Get the Story:
Indian Trust Land Suit Opens Old Wounds (AP 2/9)

Court Decision:
Wolfchild v. US (October 27, 2004)

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