MEETINGS IN OKLAHOMA REGARDING COBELL SETTLEMENT

Class Counsel in the Cobell v. Jewell (formerly Cobell v. Salazar) lawsuit will be holding meetings in Oklahoma to answer questions regarding the Settlement on June 2, 3 and 4, 2014 at the following locations:

June 2, 2014 from 10 am - 5 pm
Wichita Tribe Housing Authority
Iscani Community Center
1 Coronado Circle
Anadarko, OK 73005

June 3, 2014 from 9 am - 4 pm
Choctaw Casino & Resort – Conference Center
4418 South Highway 69/75
Durant, OK 74701

June 4, 2014 from 9 am – 4 pm
Otoe-Missouria Community Building
8151 Hwy 177
Red Rock, Oklahoma 74651

With Class Counsel will be representatives of the Garden City Group, the Claims Administrator for the Settlement, who will be available to assist individuals in determining eligibility for the Settlement and the status of any claim.

There are thousands of individuals entitled to participate in the Cobell Settlement who are members of Oklahoma tribes but the Department of Interior has no addresses for them and are considered “whereabouts unknown.” There are also Class Members who have passed away and Interior has been unable to identify the heirs of those individuals. We encourage anyone who believes they may be entitled to participate in the settlement to attend one of these meetings. They should bring with them:

  • Personal documentation including tribal ID.
  • Documents showing any IIM account number.
  • Probate orders, if any, for family members who may be class members but have passed away.

The Cobell case was filed in 1996, settled in December 2009, was approved by Congress in December 2010, and received final court approval in November 2012. The total settlement, $3.5 billion, is currently the largest class action settlement against the federal government. The case resolves certain claims relating to mismanagement of individual Indian money (“IIM”) accounts and individual trust assets by the federal government. There are approximately 500,000 individuals who are eligible to participate in this settlement. This includes principally individuals who had IIM accounts between approximately 1985 and September 30, 2009 and individuals who owned trust or restricted land as of September 30, 2009.