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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2001

Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's proposal to strip the Bureau of Indian Affairs of its trust duties is a "desparate" attempt to prove she has addressed longstanding problems, an attorney representing 300,000 American Indians said on Thursday.

Dennis Gingold also told The Washington Post the proposal was a Titanic ship doomed for failure. He is a Washington, D.C., attorney representing the plaintiffs in the Cobell v. Norton lawsuit that spurred the reorganization Norton has offered.

Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff, said in a statement that the plan was a "typical, last-minute, backs-to-the-wall effort."

Get the Story:
Interior Names New Office for Indians' Trust (The Washington Post 11/16)
Norton seeks 1 person to handle Indian trust funds (The Denver Post 11/16)
Norton overhauls trust system (Scripps Howard News Service 11/16)
Statement by Elouise Cobell (IndianTrust.Com 11/15)

Today on Indianz.Com:
Norton stripping BIA of trust duties (11/16)
Tribal leaders in uproar over proposal (11/16)
Q&A on BIA Reorganization (11/16)

Relevant Links:
Office of the Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov
Trust Management Improvement Project - http://www.doi.gov/bia/trust/tmip.htm
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

Related Stories:
Developing: BIA stripped of trust duties (11/15)
Interior might need year on new agency (11/15)
Gover: Indian Country now 'weaker' (11/15)
Trust fund security document filed (11/14)
Interior mum on trust fund report (11/13)
Norton hires own defense lawyer (11/9)
Norton told to appoint trust fund receiver (11/7)
Griles taking lead on trust reform (11/5)
Norton's defense off to a 'bad start' (11/2)
Judge ready to hold Norton in contempt (10/31)
Interior promises trust fund defense (10/31)
Judge: Norton's actions 'contemptuous' (10/30)
Trust fund defense team scrapped (10/30)
Action on Norton urged 'on all fronts' (10/29)
Norton views broken trust fund system (10/29)