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DOI claims Internet shutdown affects BIA schools
Thursday, March 18, 2004

The Department of Interior says a federal judge's Internet shutdown order will impact Bureau of Indian Affairs schools even though BIA schools are not on the same network. But already Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas has been cut off.

BIA schools operate on a network known as EDNET. In December 2001, education officials severed EDNET's link to BIA in order to protect the schools from the first shutdown order.

EDNET has since reconnected to the Internet but the BIA has not. BIA calls its network TRUSTNET. During a tour of the BIA's new computer facility last month, a senior manager confirmed that EDNET operates separately from TRUSTNET.

Still, Haskell's Internet, e-mail and other services went down as a result of the court order. In his preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the shutdown applies to all DOI computer systems.

Get the Story:
Haskell loses Internet access (The Lawrence Journal-World 3/18)
BLM's Internet blackout sidelines public (The Salt Lake Tribune 3/18)
Interior protests court ruling (Federal Computer Week 3/16)
Court orders Interior to disconnect systems from the Internet again (Government Computer News 3/16)
Judge severs Interior Department Web connections again (Government Executive Magazine 3/16)

Court Decisions:
Memorandum Opinion | Preliminary Injunction

GAO Report:
Departmental Leadership Crucial to Success of Investment Reforms at Interior (September 2003)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

Related Stories:
Judge orders DOI shutdown of Internet connections (3/16)
Computer shutdown applies to all DOI systems (3/16)
BIA shows off information technology facility (3/2)
Appeals court to hear Cobell disqualification dispute (3/1)
Anderson praises Cobell suit in NCAI speech (2/25)
Lamberth orders DOI to turn over IT reports (12/12)
DOI fares poorly on computer security report card (12/11)
Judge seeks to break impasse over trust systems (07/29)
BIA incident prompts high-level recommendation (03/27)
Court report blasts McCaleb for destroying records (01/27)
Court: McCaleb 'fabricated' e-mail story (1/24)
BIA aides circumventing court (12/16)
Martin's role in incident surfaces (12/16)
BIA aides e-mail use prompts inquiry (12/17)
McCaleb admits to e-mail 'misunderstanding' (10/23)
Burns takes on BIA problems in stride (08/23)
McCaleb gets new computer official (6/5)
Retaliation charged as BIA official jumps ship (7/25)

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