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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2001

Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's latest addition to her trust fund team has no clue about the government's attempt to provide American Indians with a full and accurate accounting of their funds, reports The Native Times in its December issue.

"They have been working on it for about eight years, but I have not been able to find out where they are on the historic accounting," Ross O. Swimmer told the Oklahoma publication.

Swimmer, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the final years of the Reagan administration, also said a propised agency to handle individual and tribal assets has been in the works for months, if not years.

"The new agency is in response to the whole effort that has gone on since 1994," he said. "In the last couple of months, they have been looking at how to resolve the issue. I got a call about a week or so ago and I was asked if I could join the administration."

Swimmer did not explain, nor does The Times report if it asked, why it took seven years to act and to bring back a person who didn't resolve the issue during his original days at the Department of Interior.

Get the Story:
Swimmer Elected to Head new Trust Management Bureau (The Native Times 11/29)

Today on Indianz.Com:
Norton ordered to trial for 'fraud' (11/29)
Tribal leaders reject BIA overhaul (11/29)
Norton to attend consultation session (11/29)
Big showing expected at Norton meeting (11/29)
Indian Country deserves answers (11/29)
Contempt trial important somewhere (11/29)

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

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