PAWNEE, Okla. — Pawnee Nation officials have not yet decided how to divide almost half of a multi-million dollar settlement.

“That decision hasn’t been arrived at yet,” Vice President Charles Lone Chief said Wednesday morning at a special meeting of the Pawnee Business Council. “It would be premature to comment.”

Earlier this year, the Pawnee Nation received a $4.4 million settlement as part of a class action lawsuit against the federal government. In September, the tribe announced that it would distribute a one-time per capita payment to all of its 3,200 citizens, leaving about $2 million to go towards tribal programs, such as education, elder services and economic development. A joint committee with members from the Pawnee Business Council and Nasharo Council, or Chiefs’ Council, is supposed to decide how to divide that money. To date, the committee’s membership has not been announced, nor has a timeline been given for when programs will be selected to receive funds.

“People should realize that things like this aren’t done overnight,” President Marshall Gover said. “We have to be frugal and careful with what we get.”

In the press release announcing the per capita payment, the tribe also promised a financial statement would be published quarterly in its newsletter, Chaticks Si Chaticks. The report was not included in the newsletter’s most recent edition, but Executive Director Dawna Hare said work is already underway on the next issue to include an update on the settlement.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Gover said that under a court order, he is limited as to what he can discuss about the settlement.

Melody McCoy, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund who represented the 40 tribes involved in the class action suit, said that while all parties involved are not allowed to talk about the negotiation process that resulted in the final settlement, there aren’t any court-imposed restrictions in place regarding the settlement’s terms.

“The settlement is a public document and can be reviewed,” she said. “As far as what tribal leaders can discuss with their citizens, each tribal government can fully disclose what it wants with its members, but that’s not necessarily the same as making things public.”

The questions concerning the settlement funds came up during discussion of whether to amend the meeting’s agenda to allow the press to stay.

“I have mixed feelings about excluding the press,” Pawnee Business Council member Carol Nuttle said. “We have to look at the overall picture and do what’s best for all of our people, though.”

After voting unanimously to amend its agenda, all seven members of the council voted to exclude the media from the meeting and the administration building.

“This is an internal matter,” Pawnee Business Council member Karla KnifeChief said. “Our meetings are open to Pawnee citizens. If they want to know what’s going on, they can read our newsletter or come to the council meetings rather than call the press.”

The next regular meeting of the Pawnee Business Council is scheduled for Nov. 14.