Facebook Twitter Email
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2002

About 200 people piled into a large Senate hearing room on Tuesday to hear the latest drama in the ongoing trust fund debacle.

Three attorneys went first and told the committee that tribes and Indians could sue for breaches of trust on just about every issue, not just asset management. Don Gray, who also testified before the House earlier this month, reiterated his belief that the Department of Interior lacks trust expertise and an independent entity must take over.

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Vice-Chairman Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) and member Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) agreed. Campbell has been pushing a bill to create a separate trust agency.

Next were the Interior representatives. Associate Deputy Secretary Jim Cason, Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb and Special Trustee Tom Slonaker presented testimony that mirrored Secretary Gale Norton's appearance before the House Resources Committee on February 6. All said they supported Norton's proposal to create a new Indian trust agency.

But they were quick to make up for remarks Norton made that offended tribal leaders. They said the Bureau of Indian Trust Assets Management (BITAM) was neither superior nor the only option.

That barely convinced two panels of tribal leaders who followed. National Congress of American Indians President Tex Hall said tribes were still skeptical they could work with the department, a problem Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the commitee chairman, tried to smooth over, to some success.

Related Documents:
Senate hearing testimony (2/27)

Get the Story:
Senator: Native trust reform is 'like a bad soap opera' (The Lincoln Journal Star 2/27)
American Indians want more control of trust fund (The Spokesman Review 2/27)

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:
Norton retreats on BITAM proposal (2/26)
NCAI's Hall still doubts Norton (2/26)
Daschle: 'Significant' questions on BITAM (2/26)
Norton admits BITAM not only solution (2/25)
ICT: Norton axes 'superior' comment (2/25)
Tribes again criticize BITAM (2/15)
Senate panel grills Griles on trust fund (2/13)
Swimmer legacy haunts BIA (2/12)
Congress urged to act on failed trust act (2/11)
Dog and pony show moves to Congress (2/7)
Norton dodges questions on Internet shutdown (2/7)
Norton goes before House panel (2/7)
Editorial: Take trust from Interior (2/7)
Tribes take assault to Congress (2/6)
Judge rejects 'improper' request by Norton (2/6)
Trust drives small increase in BIA budget (2/5)
Interior security funds outlined (2/5)
Monitor's 'only hope' seen as termination (2/4)
Memo sounded early warning on TAAMS (2/4)
Indian Country lacks confidence in Norton (2/4)
On the Indian trust bandwagon (2/4)
No light at end of Interior tunnel (2/4)
Norton's weekend in the woods (2/1)
Norton sketches trust reform budget (2/1)
Additional consultation meeting set (1/31)
BITAM comments available for review (1/30)
McCaleb talks of termination of trust (1/29)
Tribal leaders clamor for EDS report (1/29)
Trust Reform: Consulting on a blank page (1/28)
McCaleb making address to USET (1/28)
Next BITAM consultation in Alaska (1/22)
Editorial: Norton, McCaleb 'deluding' selves (1/21)
Tribes slam Norton's trust proposal (1/18)
Opinions and Views on Indian Trust (1/18)
Tribal leaders preparing for BITAM (1/16)
Consultation continues in South Dakota (1/11)
Tribes prepare for BITAM consultation (1/10)
Indian trust consultation on Jan. 10 (1/8)
EDS trust report being finalized (1/8)
Tribes fending off Norton proposal (1/4)
More BITAM consultations planned (1/4)
Editorial: No confidence in Norton plan (1/2)
Norton circles her wagon (1/2)
Trust fund regulations revised (1/2)
Cobell: Justice for Indian Country (12/24)
Tribal leaders blast Norton proposal (12/21)
Consultation wagon continues in Minn. (12/20)
Interior might hold more consultations (12/20)
Checks to Great Lakes region delayed (12/20)
Taking lead on trust reform proves tough (12/19)
DOI promises web site update (12/18)
BITAM consultation on Dec. 20 (12/17)
Tribes continue assault on Norton plan (12/14)
In The Hoop: The War on Tribalism (12/14)
Norton must end the Indian Trust sham (12/13)
Tribal consultation begins on BITAM (12/13)
Norton set for first consultation (12/13)
Attorneys barred from BITAM consultation (12/12)
NPR covers BIA overhaul, trust fund (12/11)
Indian panel urging BITAM slow down (12/10)
Norton 'offers' to meet with tribes (12/7)
Norton cleared for tribal consultation (12/6)
House to hold hearings on BIA overhaul (12/5)
McCaleb doubts tribal opposition (12/4)
Interior extends comment period (12/4)
Trust fund report still can't be found (12/4)
Tribal leaders worried about consultation (12/4)