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In The Hoop
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2002

Welcome to In The Hoop, Indianz.Com's occasional column about assorted Indian issues.

Campbell May Quit Committee
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) is thinking about leaving a key committee post, The Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.

It's not the Indian Affairs Committee, though, so everyone can be assured he will be there till the end of time. The paper says Campbell wants to leave the Environment and Public Works Committee due to scheduling conflicts.

A final decision is set in the coming weeks, a spokesperson told the paper.

How's That For a Lawsuit
An Omaha tribal member may have taken a cue from the trust fund attorneys in his recent filing of a lawsuit in federal court in Nebraska.

Alleging numerous violations of civil and child welfare rights, Preston Wolfe sued the following individuals and entities:

Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns and representatives of the state Department of Health and Human Services
Employees of the Winnebago Tribe
Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill
Secretary of Interior Gale Norton
Attorney General John Ashcroft
Special Trustee Tom Slonaker
Great Plains Bureau of Indian Affairs area director Cora Jones
Great Plains area contracting officer Richard Zephier
Great Plains Nebraska superintendent Michael Hackett
Great Plains area law enforcement commander Brent LaRocque

But it all appears for naught. U.S. District Judge Joseph Battalion dismissed all the federal defendants, leaving only the state and tribal employees left. We'll let you know if anything comes of it.

I'm Taking Land Into Trust!
Is Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb actually going to take land into trust while he runs the BIA? He did it for the United Auburn Community and he just might for the tiny Jamul Band of Kumeyaay, also (suspiciously) of California.

A Federal Register notice published in conjunction with the National Indian Gaming Commission today announces his intent "to gather information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 101 acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino Project in San Diego County, California."

But if you think only California tribes are benefiting from this renaissance in the tribal estate (which has nothing to with the fact that McCaleb's chief aide, Wayne Smith, hails from the Golden State), rest assured the Jicarilla Apache Nation of New Mexico was approved for 55 acres of land. It just turns out that decision is under appeal.

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