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MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2003

Ross Swimmer has yet to advance an "honest, solid proposal" to reform the broken Indian trust, a key tribal leader told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Gregg Bourland, the former long-time chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and a founding member of the Intertribal Monitoring Association, said he opposed Swimmer's confirmation special trustee at the Department of Interior. With Swimmer, "it always seemed the Indian got the short end of the stick," he told the paper.

Bourland used to sit on an advisory board of Indian leaders and trust experts. But the 2003 omnibus appropriations act authorizes Swimmer to select new advisers.

"The word is we're all going to be replaced with hand-picked cronies of Ross Swimmer," Bourland said. "That's unfortunate. We were not there to agree with the special trustee. It is our job to advise him about our concerns with the system. We were a sounding board for the trustee."

Swimmer was confirmed by the Senate last week. The vote was 72-24, the first time in history that an Indian affairs nominee has not been unanimously confirmed.

Get the Story:
Nominee OK'd as trustee for Indian money (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 4/12)
Bush pick to manage trusts for American Indians OK'd (The Las Vegas Review-Journal 4/12)
Senators oppose Indian fund special trustee (The Rapid City Journal 4/13)

Roll Call:
Senate Vote on Ross O. Swimmer (April 10, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Office of Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

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