Indian Claims Commission was an independent commission of the United States government from 1946 to 1978. The commission heard and decided claims against the government made by any American Indian group living in the United States. The claims asked for compensation for fraud or for unfair treatment on the part of the federal government. Before 1946, the U.S. Court of Claims handled such claims.
The commission at first consisted of three commissioners appointed by the president. That number was later expanded to five. Most claims by American Indian groups concerned the loss of ancestral lands. Congress appropriated money to pay the claims. During its existence, the Indian Claims Commission handled more than 600 claims and awarded about $818 million in damages. In 1978, the U.S. Court of Claims resumed hearing all cases brought by American Indian groups against the federal government.
