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In The Hoop
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2001

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

Where's Our Letter?
As government attorneys praise the Secretary of Interior for moving forward with a "long overdue" accounting of money owed to American Indians, Gale Norton is busy writing letters to the media.

Her latest actually got published, probably to the chagrin of her staff. The New York Times today prints Norton's response to an August 19 article that had her unaware of a New Mexico court order to protect a butterfly species.

Apparently, Norton's "New Way to Save Species and Habitat" is her way of saying she is too busy to know every little detail that affects her department. My department, says Norton, "is currently engaged in 45 separate lawsuits relating to listing endangered species, and we have received notice of an additional 42 lawsuits on the way."

Interestingly enough, Norton's staff has used a similar excuse when it comes to the trust fund. So if you were wondering why it took Indianz.Com more than a week to report on her August 10 challenge to court monitor Joseph S. Kieffer III, it's because the staff conveniently forgot to forward the filing to us despite promising to do so weeks ago.

Cut & Paste
Speaking of the trust fund, the Department of Interior is in the midst of completing its seventh court-mandated quarterly report.

Yes, those reports which attorneys under Solicitor Bill Myers at the Department of Interior and senior Bureau of Indian Affairs managers like Deputy Commissioner Sharon Blackwell have been selectively "editing" over the objections of Special Trustee Tom Slonaker and his top aide.

So will this report contain a more accurate representation of the $40 million failure otherwise known as TAAMS? We'll let you know as soon as we get it, which -- if response by the Interior to our queries is any indication -- could be early next year.

Hiring Announcement
Looking for a job in the fast-paced world of Native media? Well then, Koahnic Broadcasting Corporation wants you.

Koahnic, better known as the folks behind National Native News, is looking for a program assistant for the daily program. If chosen, you will help producer and host Bernadette Chato fulfill her duties to provide Indian Country with all the latest and greatest news.

Contact Koahnic for more info.

In Your Hoop
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