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WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2003

Kevin Gambrell, director of the Department of Interior's Farmington Indian Minerals Office (FIMO), has been removed from his position, The Albuquerque Journal reports.

Gambrell's removal is "a slap in the face," said Calvert Garcia, executive staff assistant to Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. Garcia said Gambrell is the victim of retaliation for speaking out on behalf of Indian beneficiaries.

FIMO is a special entity in Farmington, New Mexico, that serves approximately 8,000 Navajo beneficiaries. Designed as a "one-stop" shop for trust issues, it houses the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Trust Fund Management, the Minerals Management Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

An MMS spokesperson said she couldn't comment on Gambrell's status. When reached at home, Gambrell told the paper he couldn't comment either.

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Navajos Want Management Shakeup Stopped (The Albuquerque Journal 5/7) [works only in Internet Explorer]
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