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Claim Filing Deadline Approaching in $760 Million Keepseagle Legal Settlement for American Indian Farmers and Ranchers

  
 
  • (Minneapolis, MN) The claims filing deadline is rapidly approaching on December 27, 2011 for the historic Keepseagle legal settlement that provides up
    to between $50,000-­-250,000 for tribal farmers and ranchers who unsuccessfully
    sought USDA farm loans in the 1980s and 1990s. There will be an informational
    session at the White Earth Community Center on Wednesday, December 14 at
    2:00pm. Assistance in filing claims will be provided following the meeting. Class
    members include American Indian farmers or ranchers:
    1) Farmed or ranched or attempted to farm or ranch between January 1, 1981
    and November 24, 1999; and
    2) Sought, or attempted to seek a farm loan from USDA during that period; and
    3) Complained about discrimination to the USDA orally or through a representative, such as a tribal government, during the same period.
  • There is an exclusion for discrimination that took place between January 1
    and November 23, 1997, and for complaints that came between July 1 and November 23, 1997.
  • Potential claimants have two possible routes to submit a claim. Most claimants
    will follow Track A, which is a much lower burden of proof, and provides up
    to $50,000 in relief, not including tax payments or USDA debt forgiveness. Track
    B provides up to $250,000 in relief, but requires much greater evidence of the
    claim and proof of the harm. Most Track B claimants will need to hire an attorney
    to represent their claim.
  • More information is available at www.indianfarmclass.com and by calling the
    toll free settlement hotline at 888-233-5506. The absolute filing deadline is
    December 27, 2011.
  • Claims may be filed over the hotline phone number, and the Intertribal
    Agriculture Council’s (IAC) Technical Assistance Network staff are able to personally travel to meet with potential claimants over the coming weeks to
    assist in completing claims forms. More information on the IAC Technical
    Assistance Network and how it can help facilitate better access to USDA resources
    and overall promotion of tribal agriculture is available on the program’s website
    at www.iactechhelp.com.
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