Education | Law | National

Northern Cheyenne Tribe won't talk about $11M settlement

Friday, August 14, 2015

A fundraising plea features an image of an Indian girl. Image from St. Labre Indian School

Members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe are upset with a still-undisclosed settlement with the St. Labre Indian School, a private Catholic school on the reservation.

A resolution obtained by A Cheyenne Voice and reported in a story for the Native Sun News shows that the tribe will receive $11 million to settle a 2005 lawsuit that accused the Catholic Church of "unjust enrichment." For decades, the school cited poor conditions on the reservation in order to raise money even though the institution is not affiliated with the tribe.

"NCT alleges that St. Labre raised between $27 and $30 million for two of the four years before the filing of its complaint," the Montana Supreme Court said in a February 2013 decision that allowed the "unjust enrichment" claim to move forward.

The case did move forward and it resulted in a settlement late last year. But the tribe is not allowed to talk about it and members are upset that they don't know where the money is going.

“They’re hiding the money from the people,” Pauline High Wolf, who helped organize a protest. outside of tribal headquarters, told The Billings Gazette. “Our people are sick and tired of their behavior.”

The settlement states that the school's fundraising techniques are "appropriate." It also states that the tribe "will never claim in any form that St. Labre’s occupancy and use of the land or any names, stories, images, symbols was inappropriate."

Get the Story:
Northern Cheyenne protesters say council mishandled $11 million settlement with St. Labre (The Billings Gazette 8/13)

Montana Supreme Court Decision:
Northern Cheyenne Tribe v. Roman Catholic Church (February 5, 2013)