Southeastern Connecticut's federally recognized Indian tribes — the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans — are reviewing the terms of $590 million in opioids settlements that tribes across the country tentatively reached with Johnson & Johnson and three major drug-distribution companies.

The local tribes had filed separate lawsuits in 2019 against dozens of pharmaceutical companies, drug distributors and big-chain pharmacies over their alleged roles in the prescription opioids crisis.

All federally recognized tribes, many of which were hit hard by the crisis, will be able to participate in the settlements, even if they did not sue over opioids. An overwhelming majority of those that sued would have to approve the tentative agreements.

“The Mohegan Tribe is encouraged about the announcement of a settlement and looks forward to reviewing the proposed agreement,” James Gessner Jr., the tribe's chairman, said Wednesday in a statement. “The Tribe believes that a fair and equitable settlement will provide timely, needed resources to ease the impact of the opioid crisis on the community and Mohegan families.”

A spokeswoman for the Mashantuckets said the tribe was reviewing the latest developments but had no statement to make.

In their suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Northern Ohio in accordance with an order consolidating such civil claims under the umbrella of National Prescription Opiate Litigation, the Mashantuckets named, among others, Stamford-based Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of the painkiller OxyContin, as well as Johnson & Johnson and the three distributors involved in the settlement: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal and McKesson.

In amending the suit, the tribe added as defendants members of the Sackler family, owners of Purdue, which filed for bankruptcy protection.

“The Tribe has seen substantial increases in child welfare and social services costs associated with opioid addictions,” the Mashantuckets’ suit says. “Its health services have been significantly impacted and education and addiction therapy costs have substantially increased.”

The suit seeks damages for costs associated with medical and therapeutic care the tribe has provided for patients suffering from opioid addiction; opioid prescriptions paid through the tribe’s health care system; and treatment of infants born with opioid-related medical conditions. It also cites costs associated with law enforcement and increased burdens on the tribe’s judicial system.

“Defendants’ actions ... have also created a palpable climate of fear, distress, dysfunction and chaos among tribal residents where opioid diversion, abuse, and addiction are prevalent and where diverted opioids tend to be used frequently,” the suit says.

According to a court filing made public Tuesday in Cleveland, Johnson & Johnson would pay $150 million over two years while AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal and McKesson would contribute $440 million over seven years. The same four companies are nearing the final stages of approval of settlements worth $26 billion with state and local governments across the U.S.

The newly announced deals are separate from a $75 million one the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the three distribution companies reached last year ahead of a trial.

Associated Press reports are included in this article.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com