Do American Indians receive any special rights or benefits from the U.S. government?

Contrary to popular belief, American Indians do not receive payments from the federal government simply because they have Indian blood. Funds distributed to a person of Indian descent may represent mineral lease income on property that is held in trust by the United States or compensation for lands taken in connection with governmental projects. Some Indian tribes receive benefits from the federal government in fulfillment of treaty obligations or for the extraction of tribal natural resources – a percentage of which may be distributed as per capita among the tribes membership.