Grand Traverse Band's Land Claims Distribution Trust Fund

Year

After 26 years of negotiation with the US government over how monies from a land claims settlement would be distributed, the Band assumed financial control over the settlement by creating a Trust Fund system that provides annual payments in perpetuity to Band elders for supplementing their social security benefits. The Land Claims Distribution Fund was created to not only provide an additional permanent safety net for the Tribe's elders, but also to honor their lifetime contributions and sacrifices. The Fund also enables the Tribe to effectively manage its own settlement award rather than having it remain under the management of the US government.

Resource Type
Citation

"Land Claims Distribution Trust Fund". Honoring Nations: 1999 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2000. Report.

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. 

Related Resources

Thumbnail or cover image
Grand Traverse Band Planning and Development

Faced with a growing land base and an increasing number of visitors to the reservation, the Grand Traverse Band Tribal Council established the Planning and Development Department in 1997 to build capacity within the community to accommodate new needs. The Department addressed its challenge by…

Image
Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou

This in-depth, interview-based study was commissioned by Membertou Chief and Council and the Membertou Governance Committee, and funded by the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program to investigate methods by which Membertou First Nation can further increase its…

Image
Exercising Sovereignty and Expanding Economic Opportunity Through Tribal Land Management

While the United States faces one of the most significant housing crises in the nation’s history, many forget that Indian housing has been in crisis for generations. This report seeks to take some important steps toward a future where safe, affordable, and decent housing is available to Native…