{"id":1332,"date":"2020-09-25T15:27:48","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T20:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=1332"},"modified":"2020-11-03T13:52:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T19:52:18","slug":"appeals-court-sides-with-tribes-in-covid-19-funding-dispute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/25\/appeals-court-sides-with-tribes-in-covid-19-funding-dispute\/","title":{"rendered":"Appeals court sides with tribes in COVID-19 funding dispute"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><iframe class=\"embed-responsive-item\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TAFpBJyH3Mo\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Video: \r\n<a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/TAFpBJyH3Mo>D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals &#8211; Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation v. Steven Mnuchin &#8211; September 11, 2020<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Appeals court sides with tribes in COVID-19 funding dispute<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Friday, September 25, 2020<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8226; <strong>SPREADSHEET: <A HREF=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/25\/spreadsheet-coronavirus-relief-fund-allocations-for-tribal-governments\/>Coronavirus Relief Fund allocations for tribal governments<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alaska_Native_corporation>Alaska Native corporations<\/a> (ANCs) are not entitled to shares of the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/04\/01\/we-need-the-money-right-now-tribes-await.asp>$8 billion coronavirus relief fund<\/a>, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nIn a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the <a href=https:\/\/www.cadc.uscourts.gov\/>D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals<\/a> said the for-profit corporations are not &#8220;recognized&#8221; tribes. As such, they do not qualify for the funds provided by <a href=https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/policy-issues\/cares>Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act<\/a>, also known as the <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/Video\/2020\/03\/30\/cares-act-coronavirus-relief-f.asp>CARES Act<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;We hold that Alaska Native corporations are not eligible for funding under Title V of the CARES Act,&#8221; <a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gregory_G._Katsas>Judge Gregory Katsas<\/a>, who was nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump, wrote for the court.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/20-5204-1863446.pdf>24-page ruling<\/a>, accompanied by a two-page concurrence, comes just two weeks after the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/11\/appeals-court-hears-arguments-in-covid-19-funding-dispute\/>D.C. Circuit heard arguments<\/a> in the closely-watched case. It marks a major victory for tribal nations in  one of the most <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/18\/lisa-murkowski-war-ncai\/>bitter Indian policy and legal disputes<\/a> in recent history.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;The opinion was correctly and artfully written,&#8221; <a href=https:\/\/www.bigfirelaw.com\/nicole-e-ducheneaux\/>attorney Nicole Ducheneaux<\/a>, who represented a group of tribes in the dispute, told Indianz.Com.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;No one has ever understood ANCs to recognized Indian tribes under any definition of that term,&#8221; said Ducheneaux  a citizen of the <a href=http:\/\/sioux.org\/>Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe<\/a>, one of the plaintiffs. &#8220;They are for-profit corporations, which Congress did not intend to share in the lifesaving appropriation for COVID-affected governments.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFklWdqlMvL\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFklWdqlMvL\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\"> View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFklWdqlMvL\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A post shared by Big Fire Law &amp; Policy Group (@bigfire_law)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2020-09-25T19:41:29+00:00\">Sep 25, 2020 at 12:41pm PDT<\/time><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nBut the dispute might not yet be over. The ANCs that intervened in the case can pursue further appeals in the case in hopes of claiming some $534 million that has been set aside for them by the <a href=https:\/\/www.treasury.gov\/>Department of the Treasury<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;We&#8217;re in a situation where the tribes have the money that was allocated but the Alaska Native corporations still do not,&#8221; Nathan Yaa Ndakin Yeil McCowan, the chair of the <a href=https:\/\/anvca.biz\/>Alaska Native Village Corporation Association<\/a>, said during <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/09\/17\/insights-from-congressional-and-tribal-leaders-coronavirus-relief-for-american-indian-tribal-governments-2\/>COVID-19 forum hosted by Harvard University<\/a> last Friday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Trump administration could also keep pushing. So far, Treasury has stood by the ANCs, believing they are just as entitled to the coronavirus relief fund as tribal governments.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nThe most obvious route for an appeal is to ask  the  D.C. Circuit to rehear the case <em>en banc<\/em>, meaning it would be heard by a larger panel of judges.\r\nBut it&#8217;s also possible for the Trump administration, or the ANCs, to take the matter directly to the <a href=https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/>U.S. Supreme Court<\/a>, whose members paid tributes to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg  in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Friday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nGinsburg passed away on September 18 due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer, the <a href=https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/publicinfo\/press\/pressreleases\/pr_09-18-20>court announced last week<\/a>. She was 87 years old.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-attachment-id=\"1346\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/25\/appeals-court-sides-with-tribes-in-covid-19-funding-dispute\/supremecourt\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/supremecourt-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 11 Pro Max&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1600899842&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"supremecourt\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The casket of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on September 23, 2020.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/supremecourt-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/supremecourt-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"supremecourt\"   class=\"img-fluid wp-image-1346\" \/><figcaption class=figure-caption> The casket of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on September 23, 2020. Photo by Indianz.Com <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nGinsburg&#8217;s death leaves the nation&#8217;s highest court with only eight members, barely a week before the <a href=https:\/\/sct.narf.org\/termindexes\/october2020.html>October 2020 term<\/a> is set to begin. The   justices can continue to hear and decide cases, with any 4-4 ties resulting in a lower ruling being upheld.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nSuch a scenario would not be beneficial for the ANCs, or for Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, the defendant in the case. A tie would merely reaffirm the D.C. Circuit&#8217;s current ruling in favor of tribal nations.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nBesides the legal uncertainty, a deadline is quickly approaching for recipients of the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund. According to the CARES Act, all money must be spent by December 31, or it has to be returned to the Treasury.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nShould  the ANCs or the Trump administration continue to pursue the case, it would prolong an eventual decision, making it more difficult for any recipients to spend the money before the deadline. Tribes are supporting legislation   in the 116th Congress to extend the deadline but no bills have advanced at this point.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nBut in anticipation of further legal action, the D.C. Circuit on Friday <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01218267089.pdf>held off on issuing the mandate in the case<\/a> pending any requests for a rehearing.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n  <\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nUnder the CARES Act, Treasury was required to make payments to tribes within 30 days.\r\nThe department missed the deadline because it was unable to come up with an allocation methodology on time, government attorneys repeatedly said in court.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nEventually, Treasury made <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/24\/coronavirus-relief-fund-allocations-for-tribal-governments\/>COVID-19 relief fund payments to tribal governments<\/a> in multiple installments. The first was initiated on May 5, 2020, with each tribe receiving an amount that was <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/05\/08\/trumps-transparency-coronavirus-relief-f.asp>tied to their Indian housing population<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nA senior aide at the White House later disclosed that the first payment was tied to President Donald Trump&#8217;s visit to Arizona on that same day, when he participated in a roundtable with a small group of tribal leaders.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe second payment started rolling out on June 12 but it was only a partial one, as Treasury unilaterally withheld funds from tribes in response to a completely different lawsuit, separate from the ANC issue. After being ordered to release all the money by a federal judge, the department initiated the third and final payment on June 17.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nNot all tribes were paid at the same time, though. According to representations made by government attorneys in federal court, Treasury had trouble sending payments to Indian nations in Alaska, for example.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nInformation from <a href=https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/disaster\/covid-19>usaspending.gov<\/a>,  a government-run website,  in fact shows a number of tribes in the 49th state didn&#8217;t get their first payment until days, or even weeks, later. In one instance, an Indian nation in Alaska didn&#8217;t receive the first payment until May 28.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0yYFAWzrcJ\">https:\/\/t.co\/0yYFAWzrcJ<\/a> is publishing the payments made to tribes from the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund. How much did your Indian nation receive? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#COVID19<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Coronavirus<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CoronavirusReliefFund?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CoronavirusReliefFund<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CARESAct?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CARESAct<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/29OYlUMms2\">https:\/\/t.co\/29OYlUMms2<\/a><\/p>&mdash; indianz.com (@indianz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1309337755802050572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 25, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nThe second and third payments appear to be have been distributed in a more consistent manner, according to   usaspending.gov. These payments were based on a formula that Treasury has not disclosed but were  presumably linked to <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/05\/16\/tribal-employment-and-expenditure-submission-instructions-department-of-treasury\/>expenditures and employment data<\/a> submitted by tribes.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/>Usaspending.gov<\/a> was recently updated with <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19<\/a> spending data. As such, it includes <a href=https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/search\/321227db8295b108e9935f42b8a1dfcb>coronavirus relief fund payments<\/a> made to states and local governments, as well as to U.S. territories.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThough the  CARES Act, Congress allocated $150 billion in COVID-19 relief for tribes, states, local and territorial governments.    The tribal set-aside was $8 billion.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n The law further directed Treasury to disburse the money &#8220;not later than 30 days&#8221; after its enactment, which was on March 27.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In the end, a ruling that favored the ANCs today could have set a dangerous precedent for Indian Country moving forward as stated in the opinion: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gPp0WMShwO\">pic.twitter.com\/gPp0WMShwO<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Jenni Monet (@jennimonet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jennimonet\/status\/1309564408851382274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 25, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nIndianz.Com calculated that  $534 million is being held for Alaska Native corporations based on representations made by government attorneys in court. The figure appears to be further confirmed by the  <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/20092400.pdf>Daily Treasury Statement<\/a>, which shows $534 million remaining in the coronavirus relief fund.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nShould the legal dispute end with the D.C. Circuit&#8217;s ruling on Friday, the $534 million could be distributed to tribal governments, many of whom complained of underpayments due to Treasury&#8217;s decision to rely on Indian housing data for the first payment back in May. Many tribes instead wanted payments tied to their citizenship base, as originally anticipated before the <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/05\/05\/u-s-treasury-department\/>Trump administration changed course<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cThe Confederated Tribes plaintiffs appreciate the court\u2019s thorough, careful exposition of the statutory and historical factors making it clear that Alaska Native corporations are not Indian tribes, a term restricted to sovereign tribes enjoying a government-to-government relationship with the United States,\u201d <a href=http:\/\/www.kanjikatzen.com\/riyaz-kanji\/>attorney Riyaz Kanji<\/a>, who argued <EM>Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation  v.   Mnuchin<\/em> before the D.C. Circuit on September 11, told Indianz.Com.\r\n<p><\/p> \r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision<\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/20-5204-1863446.pdf>Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation  v. Steven Mnuchin<\/a> (September 25, 2020)","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alaska Native corporations are not entitled to shares of the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund, a federal appeals court ruled in a closely-watched case.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,19,20,13,9],"tags":[78,80,74,5,346,83,75,344,343,95,345,220,776,84,89],"class_list":["post-1332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-health","category-indian-trust","category-law","category-opinion","tag-alaska","tag-ancs","tag-cares-act","tag-coronavirus","tag-dc","tag-dc-circuit","tag-donald-trump","tag-gregory-katsas","tag-nicole-ducheneaux","tag-riyaz-kanji","tag-ruth-bader-ginsburg","tag-sovereignty","tag-steven-mnuchin","tag-supreme-court","tag-treasury","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/federalcourthousedc.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-lu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}