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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2002

"Once again the United States of America is reminded of its disgrace, via its Department of Interior, for how it has historically bungled trust assets belonging to American Indian people. Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb are held "in contempt" by a federal court exasperated over the department’s seeming inability to fix the fiasco of hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps several billion, in missing Indian account funds. And once again, the question comes up: can the same department that messed it up, fix it up?

By putting the case in "receivership" [U.S. District Judge Royce] Lamberth could oversee a clean analysis and solution-oriented initiative on the most shameful and horrendous of government boondoggle history.

The time is nearing for such independent action on this traumatic case."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Trust Fund decision: endgame for Interior? (Indian Country Today 9/18)

Today on Indianz.Com:
Norton 'unfit' to manage Indian trust (9/18)
Griles nearly perjured himself (9/18)

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
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

Related Stories:
Norton found in contempt for trust fund (9/17)
Judge holds Norton in contempt (9/17)
Your Ultimate Guide to Contempt (9/5)