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In The Hoop
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2001

Welcome to In The Hoop, Indianz.Com's occasional column about assorted Indian issues.

Interior Investigations
The news that Bill Myers, the Department of Interior's new Solicitor, wants an investigation into several incidences of misconduct has The Denver Post calling it "a stunning reversal" of department policy that could "pose potentially embarrassing problems" for the Bush administration.

Dennis Gingold, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the Cobell v. Norton doesn't necessarily see it that way. He says the Interior has repeatedly ignored allegations of misconduct in the trust fund case for the past few years.

And even when a probe has been launched, he says the Interior has conducted a shoddy investigation. "While we think its positive the new Solicitor has done something," said Gingold, "the way it has been minimized doesn't give us a lot of hope that any real changes are going to occur."

Interior Investigations, Part II
The news that Bill Myers, the Department of Interior's new Solicitor, wants an investigation into several incidences of misconduct has In The Hoop wondering about all those probes that never happened and probably never will.

Here's our list of Interior Investigations You'll Never See:

• Was former Chief Information Officer Dom Nessi under the influence of peyote when he approved a redesign of the Bureau of Indian Affairs web site? And why did it take months for his staff to launch it?
• How many "gifts" did former Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover take home when he left the BIA? And why were they all conveniently have his initials woven, painted or otherwise embossed onto them?
• Just how many "special assistants" did Gover have during his tenure? And just what did all of the assistants do, besides allegedly influence the outcome of several federal recognition decisions?
• Did an employee of the BIA, who is also the wife of a high-browed Indian lobbyist, pressure colleagues into giving her baby shower gifts?
• What went on behind closed-doors when a certain Interior official reportedly apologized to her boss after reading In The Hoop last month? And how was that two-martini lunch at Blackie's?

Native Talk Show to Debut
The news that Bill Myers, the Department of Interior's new Solicitor, wants an investigation into several incidences of misconduct has nothing to do with the next item but we thought we'd be consistent anyway.

All you Beltway residents, tune in September 17 for the premiere of "Windows to Our Ways," the first Native talk show to be broadcast from the capitol of the good ole U.S.A. Hosted by Patricia Parker, the public access show is the project of Native American Management Services and will feature interviews with Indian personalities and a spotlight on Indian communities.

Scheduled to appear for the first broadcast are NCAI Executive Director Jackie Johnson, Navajo artist extraordinare Ray Tracy and Lumbee diva-in-waiting Jana "I Have No Last Name."

The show will air on Fairfax Public Access Channel 10.

In Your Hoop
Do you have an interesting tip? You might be published here! Email In the Hoop and let us know.

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