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MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2001

Oklahoma's tribal leaders are among the many in Indian Country voicing dissent over Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's proposal to strip the Bureau of Indian Affairs of its trust responsibilities and hand them to a new agency.

Chief among the complaints is lack of consultation on the plan. "This came as a surprise to all the tribes. No one knew anything about it," Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman John A. "Rocky" Barrett told The Daily Oklahoman.

Barrett and other Oklahoma leaders also said the proposal won't solve more than 100 years of financial mismanagement. Cherokee Nation Chief Chad Smith also says funding is a big issue.

Get the Story:
McCaleb and Swimmer speeches spawn tensions (Indian Country Today 12/3)
Tribal leaders skeptical of trust plan (The Daily Oklahoman 12/2)
Lawsuit criticizes management of Indian trust (The Daily Oklahoman 12/2)
Tribal leaders dispute BIA restructure (The Shawnee News-Star 11/30)

Today on Indianz.Com:
Norton set for 'worst nightmare' (12/3)

Relevant Links:
Office of the Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov
Trust Management Improvement Project - http://www.doi.gov/bia/trust/tmip.htm
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

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