North Dakota Native Americans to be briefed on trust settlement

Information on how Native Americans in North Dakota can share in the recently approved $3.4 billion settlement of Indian Trust claims will be discussed at three meetings this month.

At 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, in the auditorium at the Spirit Lake Casino, 7889 Highway 57 South, St Michael, attorneys Dennis Gingold and Justin Guilder of Washington will be discussing the settlement with members of the Spirit Lake Tribe.

At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, they will be at the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Reservation meeting with individuals at the Turtle Mountain Bingo Palace, Highway 5 West, Belcourt.

At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, they will be briefing members of the Three Affiliated Tribes - Fort Berthold at the 4 Bears Casino Event Center, 202 Frontage Road, Highway 23, New Town.

Native Americans whose families have individual Indian money trust accounts or who own individual Indian trust land are welcome to attend the meeting and ask questions about the settlement.

"The settlement represents a hard-won victory for Native Americans," Cobell said in a press release. "Our hope is that these meetings and a public awareness campaign we are undertaking will get hundreds of thousands of Native Americans to apply for these funds. It has always been their money and I am delighted we can finally return some of it to them."

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