A federal judge has ordered the Bureau of Indian Affairs to pay Crownpoint Institute of Technology in New Mexico an undisclosed amount under a self-determination contract, The Farmington Daily Times reports.

CIT sued the BIA for failing to distribute money that Congress provided for the Adult Vocational Education Program. CIT said the money was withheld for several years despite the Navajo Nation requesting money for the program under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

The judge in the case ruled that the BIA owed the school money under a self-determination contract. The judge wrote that the "basic idea behind the ISDA is to promote tribal autonomy and self-determination by permitting tribes to operate programs previously operated by the federal government, but to ensure that they do not suffer a reduction in funding for those programs simply because they assume direct operations of them" [Navajo Nation Press Release].

Get the Story:
Court orders BIA to pay CIT for training (The Farmington Daily Times 9/26)

Related Stories:
Contracts still an issue despite Supreme Court win (04/14)
Indian Affairs Committee objects to Bush funding cuts (03/08)
Tribes win decision in contract support cost case (03/02)
Tribal budget advisory council backs tribal colleges (03/01)
Bush budget seeks cuts to Indian education programs (02/10)
Congress restores Bush's cuts to Indian programs (11/22)