PABLO – Members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes want to vote on whether the tribe should distribute the rest of a $150 million federal settlement to its members, who received just over half of the money in September.
A group called the People’s Voice presented the council with a petition containing 1,414 signatures of enrolled tribal members, asking for a referendum vote.
CSKT spokesman Rob McDonald said Monday the tribe’s legal team is reviewing the petition.
The tribe received the money as part of the “Salazar settlement” in a lawsuit over federal mismanagement of assets and natural resources held in trust by the government for the tribes.
In September, about 7,800 tribal members received $10,000 each. Petitioners want another $9,000 paid out to each tribal member.
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