As of December 2, 2024, the Pembina Settlement Distribution Period has ended and the distribution of settlement proceeds has concluded.
This momentous and historic Pembina Settlement was the result of a lawsuit brought in 1992 by the Pembina Tribes on their behalf and on behalf of eligible Pembina individuals to redress alleged mismanagement by the United States government of two Indian Claims Commission (ICC) judgment awards to the Pembinas. The ICC judgment awards were additional compensation for millions of acres of land that the Pembinas ceded to the United States in the 19th century for which the United States paid pennies per acre. The United States, as trustee, was responsible for managing the ICC judgment awards as trust funds until they were distributed to the Pembina beneficiaries in the 1980s and 1990s.
This lawsuit alleged that the trust funds were mismanaged and again, additional compensation for the Pembina beneficiaries was in order. NARF represented the Pembinas throughout the lawsuit and over a decade of settlement negotiations. “NARF commends the Pembinas for their perseverance and patience in this precedential case,” said NARF Staff Attorney Melody McCoy. “Many are unaware of the tremendous impact the Pembinas have had in holding the United States accountable to Indian Tribes and individuals.”
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