The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing this morning on a bill to address the management of the Utah Navajo Trust Fund.

In 1933, Congress created a trust for members of the Navajo Nation who live in San Juan County, Utah. The law requires the state to manage 37.5 percent of the royalties from oil and gas production on Navajo land.

S.1690, which was introduced on September 21, relieves the state of its role.The Utah Dineh Corporation would handle duties as trustee of the fund.

The hearing lasted about 45 minutes and was followed by a hearing on backlogs at the Interior Department. The video feed contains the archive of both hearings.

Committee Hearing:
LEGISLATIVE HEARING on S. 1690, to amend the Act of March 1, 1933, to transfer certain authority and resources to the Utah Dineh Corporation, and for other purposes (December 9, 2009)

Related Stories:
Hearing to focus on Utah Navajo trust management (12/8)
Judge asked to mediate Navajo trust fund case (6/25)
Judge asked to mediate Navajo trust fund case (06/25)
Editorial: Utah should pull out of Navajo trust (11/16)
Utah seeks to pull out of Navajo trust fund (11/14)
Navajos in Utah fight state over trust mismanagement (3/6)
Federal judge advances Navajo trust fund lawsuit (1/12)
Navajo trust fund case moves forward (6/11)