PAWNEE, Okla. – Pawnee Nation officials have decided how the tribe will spend a $4.4 million federal settlement.

Officials announced Sept. 10 that $2 million will go to a one-time per capita payment of about $600 for all tribal citizens.  The payments will start being processed within 30 days and tribal citizens are asked to update their mailing addresses with the Pawnee Nation by 5 p.m. on Sept. 28.

Tribal officials did not answer questions about whether the per capita payments will have any impact on the annual annuity checks mailed out to tribal citizens.

An additional $2 million will go to tribal programs and services. An oversight committee with three members from the Pawnee Business Council and three members from the Nasharo Council, or Chiefs’ Council, will determine which programs will receive settlement funds.

The Pawnee Nation did not provide a timeline for when programs will be selected to receive settlement funds or what criteria will be used to select recipients but did state in a press release that financial reports on how the settlement money is being spent will be published quarterly in the tribe’s newsletter.    

The remaining money will be used to pay the Native American Rights Fund for representing the Pawnee Nation in the lawsuit. With about 3,500 enrolled citizens, it is the smallest of the 41 tribes that participated in Nez Perce v. Salazar.

The decision on how to spend the money was made Sept. 8 during a joint meeting of the Pawnee Business Council and Nasharo Council that was held in executive session, a move many tribal citizens denounced.

“Living outside of Pawnee, it is frustrating to try and stay in the know about everything from events to ceremonies to any relevant news or information pertinent to tribal members,” said Cristi Richardville, a Pawnee Nation citizen from Tulsa, Okla. “If they (the Pawnee Business Council and Nasharo Council) are going to keep part of the money for services, the top priority needs to be improving communication with us (tribal citizens).”

The Pawnee Nation did not respond to questions about why the joint meeting on Sept. 8 was held in executive session or the legal justification for asking non-enrolled citizens to leave an Aug. 25 town hall meeting to discuss how to spend the settlement money.