Federal Judge Rules US Government Owes Group of Native Americans $455 Million for Unpaid Royalties on Drilling for Oil and Gas

After a twelve-year struggle in the courts, a federal judge has ruled the US government owes a group of Native Americans nearly half a billion dollars for unpaid royalties on drilling for oil and gas. But the $455 million dollar judgment is just a fraction of the $47 billion the Natives are seeking in the largest-ever class-action lawsuit against the US government. The suit seeks to force the government to account for all royalties due individual Native Americans since 1887 on seized lands.

Plaintiffs say they are considering an appeal.

Elouise Cobell of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana launched the class action lawsuit on behalf of 500,000 plaintiffs in 1996. She is the lead plaintiff in the suit.

Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the case and member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. She is the executive director of the Native American Community Development Corporation.

Related Links

• IndianTrust.com

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