PLEASE BE AWARE

Some people are offering to make loans or do other business with Class Members (IIM Trust Beneficiaries) who will receive payments from the settlement when it is final.

The Plaintiffs in Cobell v. Salazar have NOT authorized or endorsed any such activity. Please be careful about releasing your bank account numbers or other confidential information to others. If you have any questions, please call the Toll-Free number on this website.


Important Notice:

Please note, if you are a Class Member you do not have to pay any money to the Indian Trust Settlement under any circumstances in order to receive your benefits. If someone asks you for some kind of payment and claims to be from the Indian Trust Settlement please do not send any money. If you have any questions, please call the Toll-Free number on this website. Thank you.



President Barack Obama Remembers Elouise Cobell

October 27, 2011

With the passing of Elouise Cobell, a proud member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, we have lost a champion of Native American rights. Her persistent and determined leadership in the pursuit of justice for Native Americans will leave an enduring legacy.

As treasurer of the Blackfeet Nation, Elouise spoke out when she saw that the federal government had failed to account for billions of dollars that it owed to hundreds of thousands of her fellow Native Americans. In 1996, she filed suit, and for 15 years, tirelessly led a legal battle, with seven trials, 10 appeals, and dozens of published decisions. She fought her battle not just in the courts, but in the halls of Congress before finally securing justice for more than 300,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives in the form of a $3.4 billion settlement.

The agreement reached in Cobell v. Salazar marked the largest government class-action settlement in our nation’s history. The scholarship fund this settlement established will give more Native Americans access to higher education. Tribes will have more control over their own lands. Elouise’s tireless efforts strengthened the government-to-government relationship with Indian country, and a generation of Native Americans and all Americans has seen the promise of justice realized.

Last December, I had the privilege to meet with Elouise in the Oval Office prior to signing into law a bill to make things right. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 is a direct result of the settlement that bears her name. It is proof of an enduring American idea – that change is always possible.

But change is never easy. It doesn’t come overnight. In this case, it took 15 years. For 15 long years, despite obstacles and setbacks, Elouise Cobell pressed on with a defiant yet humble refusal to accept the world as it is, and a quiet determination to reach for the world as it ought to be.

“I never started this case with any intentions of being a hero,” she said. “I just wanted this case to give justice to people that didn’t have it.”

In the face of daunting odds, Elouise remained driven by the belief that America is a place where tomorrow can be better than today – and convinced that this is a country where hard work and great resolve can make a difference.

That is what makes this country special. Even when we haven’t always lived up to our highest ideals, we know we can right a wrong; even if we enjoy certain rights, we know are not truly equal until everybody enjoys those rights; even if we are doing well, we know we have a responsibility to leave a better future for our children, and the obligation to try.

That is what Elouise Cobell did. We mourn her passing, thank her for the legacy she left behind, and commit ourselves to that same passionate pursuit of a more perfect union.

Condolences and remembrances may be sent via email to InRemembranceofElouise@gcginc.com.

Please note that any emails sent may be used on this the official Settlement Website,
www.IndianTrust.com, and that Class Counsel reserve the right to modify, alter, amend or delete any submissions, as appropriate, prior to posting.

Welcome to the Cobell v. Salazar Settlement Website

CURRENT SETTLEMENT STATUS: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted Final Approval for the Indian Trust Settlement at the Fairness Hearing; Final Approval will become effective and payments will be distributed once all appeals have been resolved.

There are two active appeals. The first was filed by Kimberly Craven on August 6, 2011. The other is a consolidated Appeal of Carol Eve Good Bear, Charles Columbe, and Mary Aurelia Johns who are being represented by David C. Harrison. This was filed on September 30, 2011. These appeals could collectively delay payment by one year or longer.

Documents related to the appeals can be viewed under the Court Documents tab on this website, along with copies of the Order Granting Final Approval to Settlement, the Final Judgment, the Fairness Hearing Transcript, and other Court Documents.

This website contains important information about the $3.4 billion Indian Trust Settlement.

You may be a part of this Settlement with certain rights in this Settlement if you are an:

To be eligible for any payments under the Settlement, you must be a member of one or both Classes.

Please note that if you are currently receiving IIM account statements you did not need to file a claim form. The claim filing deadline was Friday, September 16, 2011 and applies only to those who do not meet any of the above criteria for Class Membership. If you believe you are a Class Member but are unsure of whether we have your current contact information, please contact us at the toll-free help line (800-961-6109) or via email at IIMInfo@IndianTrust.com. Please note, we are still accepting additional information from Class Members so that we may appropriately make connections to Class Member records.

Please be sure to review the Detailed Notice to fully understand your rights.

Settlement Video: This video contains important information about the Indian Trust Settlement. In the video, Elouise Cobell describes the Settlement and answers frequently asked questions about how to participate, your legal rights, and how to get money if you qualify.

This website will be updated as more information becomes available. Please check back periodically for important updates regarding the Settlement.