Trust
BIA school wasn't told of Internet reconnect


A Bureau of Indian Affairs school principal on the Navajo Nation wasn't told that her school's Internet connection was restored, The Gallup Independent reports.

Ft. Wingate Elementary principal Dianne Owens lamented the shutdown that was caused as a result of a federal judge's order last week. But despite the Department of Interior's press campaign declaring victory when the order was lifted on Wednesday, Owens didn't know about it until a reporter contacted her. Moments later, she realized she could log in.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to consider the department's information technology woes next week, when students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas, one of the schools that lost access, return.

Get the Story:
BIA's Alamo school feels pinch of losing it's Internet access (The Gallup Independent 3/25)
Haskell Web access restored, thanks to appellate ruling (The Lawrence Journal-World 3/26)
Federal Court issues stay on BIA Internet connections (The Gallup Independent 3/25)

Relevant Documents:
Cubin Letter to Judge Lamberth (March 24, 2004)

Relevant Documents:
Daschle Letter on Internet Shutdown (March 19, 2004)

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

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