The Billings Gazette estimates Indian trust beneficiaries in Montana will see $27 million in cash payments from the Cobell settlement.

According to the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, 18,158 people in Montana have Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. The paper estimates the average payment will be $1,500, resulting in $27.2 million for beneficiaries in the state.

Going by tribe, members of the Blackfeet Nation have a total of 3,721 accounts; the Crow have 3,089; the Fort Peck Tribes have 3,026; the Salish and Kootenai have 2,606; the Northern Cheyenne have 1,629; the Fort Belknap Indian Community has 1,485; and the Chippewa Cree Tribe has 350.

Additionally, the settlement provides $2 billion to buy fractionated interests from willing landowners.

Get the Story:
Cobell deal translates to $27M in Montana (The Billings Gazette 12/10)
Cobell Settles Long-Running Lawsuit Against Feds (KECI-TV 12/9)

Relevant Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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