On the recordOctober 19, 2011
today I am introducing the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act with my friend and colleague from Minnesota, Senator Klobuchar. This legislation will finally allow for the distribution of funds owed to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Before I talk about our legislation, I want to first thank my colleague in the House, Representative Peterson of Minnesota, for his leadership on this issue and for the tremendous work he put into crafting this bill. It has been a long road to get to this point. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe first filed complaints before the Indian Claims Commission in 1948. It took all the way until 1999 before their claims were settled. For over 60 years, members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe have been waiting for these funds. It's time to get this done. In 1999, the United States Court of Federal Claims awarded $20 million to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. This money is to compensate tribal members for the improper taking and sale of land and timber under the Nelson Act of 1889. The Federal Government owes the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe this money. In fact, in 1999, the $20 million owed to the tribe was transferred to the Department of the Interior and deposited in a trust fund account, where it has been collecting one percent interest. But tribal members in my home State of Minnesota have never received a dime.…
