Editorial: Settle the Indian trust fund lawsuit

Monday, February 4, 2008  

"The federal government took a healthy slap on the wrist last week from a judge for having its hand billions of dollars deep into Indian trust accounts. We hope the latest in a long line of rebukes will spur a righting of financial wrongs to Indian landholders that now stretch from the late 1880s into the 21st century.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson said the Interior Department has unreasonably delayed an accounting of how many billions it owes. He also noted considerable effort by Interior, and blamed Congress in part for failing to provide adequate funding for the difficult research.

An election year could complicate the question, but the Bush administration knows the issues. An early government effort to reach a fair, generous settlement agreement would be an act of justice worthy of the term "legacy." More important, a settlement would begin to rebuild hundreds of thousands of Americans' true legacies."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Indian Trust Funds: It's broke, so fix it (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 2/4)

Court Decision:
Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (January 30, 2008)

Final Briefs:
Cobell Brief: Conclusions of Law | Cobell Brief: Findings of Fact | DOJ Brief: Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

Trial Transcripts:
Day 1 AM | Day 1 PM | Day 2 AM | Day 2 PM | Day 3 AM | Day 3 PM | Day 4 AM | Day 4 PM | Day 5 AM | Day 5 PM | Day 6 AM | Day 6 PM | Day 7 AM | Day 7 PM | Day 8 AM | Day 8 PM | Day 9 AM | Day 9 PM | Day 10 AM | Day 10 PM

Trial Order:
Cobell v. Kempthorne (April 20,2007)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Kempthorne - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm

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Editorial: A remedy for 'neglect' of Indian trust (2/1)
Cobell: 'Great day in Indian Country' (1/31)
Judge: Cobell historical accounting 'impossible' (1/30)
Cobell statement on historical accounting decision (1/30)
Jim Cason: Historical accounting facts (01/18)
Cobell: Historical accounting far from accurate (12/14)
Bush shifts historical accounting duty again (12/5)
Opinion: U.S. wages war on Indian landowners (12/4)
Cobell historical accounting briefs due in court (11/30)
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