|
Become a friend of the Klamath Bucket Brigade All donations are tax deductible |
|
This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Millions
to be distributed to tribal members
The
Times-Standard
The Yurok Tribe announced
this week that its membership voted to split the Hoopa-Yurok settlement
of $92.6 million, 90 percent to be divided among all eligible tribal
members, 10 percent to the tribal government.
”The approximately $92
million sum was released to the tribe this past spring after the Tribal
Council signed a waiver of claims against the United States arising from
the 1988 Hoopa-Yurok Settlement Act,” the tribe's news release stated.
“The HYSA fund originated from revenues generated on the reservation
and a portion was delegated by the U.S. Congress. The current sum is a
result of the interest accrued.”
The money comes from
timber sales on the Hoopa Reservation, which was split in 1988.
The U.S. Department of
Interior determined that the money held in trust under the
Hoopa-Settlement Act belonged to the Yuroks. The Yurok Tribe had long
argued that its share of the reservation, a strip of mostly
privately-owned land on either side of the
The election offered two
options, the 90-10 split and a 50-50 split. A total of 1,927 votes were
cast, with 1,603 favoring the 90-10 split, 324 supporting the 50-50
split, according to the unofficial election results. The election
results will be certified Monday.
”The tribal membership
has given us a clear direction on how to spent the fund,” Yurok Tribal
Chairperson Maria Tripp said in the announcement. “We are ready to
begin work immediately implementing the 90-10 split.”
According to the tribe,
the 10 percent will be used for such services as providing in-home
services for elder, rights protection, education and funerals.
Tribal spokesman Matt
Mais said the 90 percent of the settlement -- roughly $83.3 million --
will be divided between nearly 5,200 tribal members. That means an
estimated $16,026 allotment per member.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those
who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for
non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go
to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml