Choctaw Nation Uses U.S. Stimulus Money for Direct Payments
- Tribal Members Get Cash for Food, Educational Aid, Hardship
- Osage, Cherokee, Navajo Approved Similar Programs for Stimulus
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton
Photographer: Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman/AP
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The Choctaw Nation this week set aside more than half of $1.1 billion in federal Covid-19 relief aid to give to its members, joining at least three other Native American tribes using so-called stimulus money for direct assistance.
A series of cash relief programs combined will cost about $627 million over two years, according to a tribe spokesperson. The programs address the economic impact of the pandemic on tribal members, with specific outlays for the disabled, educational aid for those under 17, money for any member who can show hardship and in particular payments to the elderly.