Benefits and Services Provided to American Indian & Alaska Natives

 The Myth of the Monthly Check

There has long been a myth that Indians receive a monthly check from the U.S. Government

because of their status as Indians. There is no basis for this belief other than misinformation and

misconception of the status of American Indians. Some tribes, tribal members and lineal

descendants received payments from the Federal Government resulting from claims settlements.

But there are very few judgment funds per capita payments that remain today.

Some tribes distribute payments to enrolled members when revenues from the sale of tribal

assets such as timber, hydroelectric power or oil and gas permit. Many tribes cannot make per

capita payments because they do not have natural resources or other revenue from which they

make a fund distribution.

Some tribes have successful businesses that do defense contracting, operate casinos and

information technology companies, sell spring water and make candy. If profits warrant it, and

tribal members approve it. Funds from those operations can be paid out as monthly, yearly or

occasional stipends to tribal members.

There is a clear distinction between judgment funds and tribal funds. Judgment funds are

appropriated by Congress after a claim that is filed by tribes or Indian descendant groups against

the United States, is settled. Tribal funds are derived from tribal assets (refer to paragraphs

above). An individual does not have to be an enrolled member of a tribe to receive a final

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judgment fund payment. An individual must be an enrolled member of a tribe to be eligible to

receive payments derived from tribal assets.