indianz.com your internet resource indianz.com on facebook indianz.com on twitter indianz.com on soundcloud
phone: 202 630 8439
Home > News > Week in Review > Review
Printer friendly version
The Week in Review
ending January 4, 11
Tribal leaders, lawyers and others gather in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for BIA consultation. January 3, 2002. Photo NSM.
Tribal leaders, lawyers and others.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
January 3, 2002.
Photo © NSM.
Missed the week's stories? Get a complete listing here and here.

Want In The Hoop's list of the week's Winners and Losers? Wait no more.

Norton contempt trial resumes . . .
The new year began with a resumption of Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's contempt trial for her and Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb's handling of the individual Indian trust.

After moving slowly at the onset, the pace picked up as attorneys representing 300,000 landowners rested their case. But hardly anyone was around to notice, as lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell, Norton's personal counsel Herbert Fenster, Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles, Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb and most mainstream press had long deserted the proceedings.

So not many witnessed seeing, in person, Norton launch her defense against the charges. And a simple defense it was: "We'll fix the system whenever we like, and we don't have to tell anyone about it."

Get the Story:
Contempt trial resumes in federal court (1/4)
Trial resumes with trust testimony (1/7)
Top trust official lacks 'confidence' in reform (1/9)
Babbitt, others dropped as witnesses (1/9)
Cobell plaintiffs rest case (1/10)
End in sight for Norton contempt trial (1/10)
Norton launches contempt defense (1/11)

. . . As Interior shutdown continues . . .
Speaking of not fixing things, a court-ordered Internet shutdown at the Department of Interior entered its second month with no resolution to the holdup of millions of dollars in royalty checks to Indians in sight.

And why not? The plaintiffs blamed the Interior for moving too slowly, the Interior blamed the court for not approving its security plans, Bureau of Indian Affairs-apologists blamed the plaintiffs, the judge and whomever they could reach -- all the while special master Alan Balaran kept his mouth shut, mostly. Thousands of beneficiaries, however, remain the ones without their funds as the crisis threatens to register a response on the richter scale that should make Norton take notice.

Get the Story:
Little hope for trust fund payments (1/4)
Debate continues over trust fund shutdown (1/7)
Speedy trust fund payments sought (1/7)
Interior says working on shutdown (1/7)
Order on trust fund payments sought (1/8)
Interior waited weeks on trust fund shutdown (1/9)
McCaleb tries to explain computer shutdown (1/11)
Sioux tribe honored for payments (1/11)
Editorial: Fix the trust problem already (1/11)

more stories
There's still more to read in the recap of the top stories.


Home | Arts & Entertainment | Business | Canada | Cobell Lawsuit | Education | Environment | Federal Recognition | Federal Register | Forum | Health | Humor | Indian Gaming | Indian Trust | Jack Abramoff Scandal | Jobs & Notices | Law | National | News | Opinion | Politics | Sports | Technology | World

Indianz.Com Terms of Service | Indianz.Com Privacy Policy
About Indianz.Com | Advertise on Indianz.Com

Indianz.Com is a product of Noble Savage Media, LLC and Ho-Chunk, Inc.