Final answer:
The Cobell case ended in a settlement of $3.4 billion compensated to Native American communities, acknowledging the U.S government's mishandling of indigenous assets. However, there were criticisms that the settlement was not worth the actual losses, leading to feelings of incomplete justice.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cobell case, also known as the Indian Trust lawsuit, was a class-action lawsuit brought against the U.S. government by Elouise Cobell in 1996, an indigenous activist representing approximately 500,000 Native Americans. The lawsuit claimed that the U.S government had mismanaged billions of dollars in trust assets belonging to Native American tribes and individuals.
In 2009, the case was finally settled for $3.4 billion, with $1.5 billion being distributed to class members and the remaining $1.9 billion allocated for a land consolidation program, which allowed the government to buy fractionated land interests from willing Native American sellers. The Interiors Department would then return the consolidated parcels of land to the tribes. This settlement is seen as a win for the indigenous people as it acknowledged the government's mismanagement of indigenous assets.
However, there were also perceived losses after the settlement. Many indigenous people felt the settlement was not commensurate with the estimated losses, that initially the amount claimed was reportedly around $176 billion. The payout also did not include an accounting of how the figure was reached, leaving many with the feeling of an incomplete justice.
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