Thousands of Native Americans could see the first payments of a $3.4bn (£2.1bn) US government settlement by the end of the year, lawyers say.
The settlement between Native Americans across the United States and the government over more than a century's worth of squandered and mismanaged land trust royalties has become final after the appeal period expired.
It is one of the largest US government settlements in history, and follows nearly 17 years of courtroom and congressional negotiations.
About 350,000 beneficiaries could start receiving $1,000 (£624) cheques by Christmas as the first part of the settlement goes forward, lawyers for the Native Americans said.
The remainder of the money will be used to purchase land from willing individuals and turn those over to the tribes. An education scholarship for young Indians will also be established under the agreement.
The process was started in 1996 by Elouise Cobell, leader of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana.
She argued that those who leased Indian land made money from its natural resources, while the Indians themselves remained in poverty with no accounting of the royalties from that land that were held in trust for them by the government.
Ms Cobell herself led the fight against the government for more than 15 years before she died of cancer last year.
"We all are happy that this settlement can finally be implemented," said the Native Americans’ lead lawyer Dennis Gingold.
“We deeply regret that Ms Cobell did not live to see this day."
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar released a statement that said the payouts would mark a step forward in reconciliation and a new era in how the government administers its trusts.
"With the settlement now final, we can put years of discord behind us and start a new chapter in our nation-to-nation relationship," Mr Salazar said.