South Dakota tribes weigh stance on Cobell settlement
One tribe in South Dakota has reportedly taken a position on the $3.4 billion Cobell trust fund settlement while two others are considering their stances.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe passed a resolution against the settlement though The Rapid City Journal was unable to confirm it. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe began discussing the issue at a council meeting but has yet to reach a conclusion, a spokesperson told the paper.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls was due to testify at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing yesterday in Washington, D.C.. But she canceled her trip because she said tribal members still have questions about the deal.

"I need to hear from my tribe first. I can't go there to say yes or no on the settlement," Two Bulls said on KILI Radio, the Journal reported.

Lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell and her attorneys went to the Oglala and Rosebud reservations earlier this week to discuss the deal. At the hearing yesterday, Cobell said she hasn't run into major opposition but she said there's a lot of misinformation in Indian Country.

The deal requires Congressional approval but no bills have been introduced. At the hearing, David Hayes, the deputy secretary at the Interior Department said the White House has drafted a bill and has begun circulating it on Capitol Hill.

Get the Story:
South Dakota tribes re-evaluating their class action settlement (The Rapid City Journal 3/11)
On Capitol Hill, Obama Administration Defends Indian Trust Deal (The National Law Journal 3/11)
Indian lawsuit settlement defended (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 3/11)
Cobell, DOJ Urge Congress to Act as Critics Question Settlement (Main Justice 3/11)

Relevant Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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