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FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2002

A federal judge on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order against the Department of Interior to protect records belonging to American Indians.

The order was issued to prevent the pending move of 32,000 boxes of documents currently being stored in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But according to the department's own reports and an investigation by special master Alan Balaran, countless number of records have already been shipped off to federal repositories.

At least 35,000 boxes have gone out of department hands, according to the figures. These represent both tribal and individual Indian documents.

Get the Story:
Judge tells Interior Department not to relocate Native trust-related records (The Lincoln Journal Star 4/19)
Judge blocks Indian records shipment (Federal Computer Week 4/19)
Indian Trust Records Move Blocked (AP 4/18)

Only on Indianz.Com:
Judge halts move of trust records (4/19)

Get the Order:
Temporary Restraining Order (4/18)

Related Report:
EMERGENCY REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MASTER REGARDING DEFENDANT’S PROPOSED RELOCATION OF RECORDS TO THE LEE’S SUMMIT FEDERAL RECORDS CENTER (4/17)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://130.94.214.68/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

Related Stories:
Motion filed to stop records move (4/18)
Report slams top trust reform officials (4/18)
Court urged to stop records move (4/18)
Court issues report on trust records (4/17)
Paper clips and lip service for trust records (4/12)
More sanctions expected on trust fund (4/4)
Fees awarded to trust fund plaintiffs (4/1)
Trust records being moved (3/11)
In The Hoop: Records Retirement (2/20)
Interior slammed on trust fund progress (11/30)
Norton challenges contempt recommendation (11/15)
Action against Norton urged 'on all fronts' (10/29)
Interior loses challenge to trust fund probe (8/30)
Attempt to limit trust fund probe rejected (7/24)
Trust fund investigation continues (3/9)
Norton's trust fund office to be investigated (2/13)