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Cobell calls for settlement of trust fund lawsuit
Tuesday, July 5, 2005

Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Cobell v. Norton trust fund lawsuit, spoke about the case at an Indian symposium in Great Falls, Montana.

Cobell said the federal government owes billions to individual Indians for mismanaging their land and trust assets. Along with tribal leaders, she has proposed a $27 billion payout.

"Is it fair?" Cobell said, Jodi Rave Lee of The Missoulian reported. "No. They should be paid the $176 billion. But will they ever get it in their lifetime if we go on? The main thing is we have to get people paid."

The settlement amount was contained in a list of 50 principles adopted by the Cobell plaintiffs and a tribal workgroup led by the National Congress of American Indians and the Inter-Tribal Monitoring Association. Legislation to resolve the case and reform the trust is expected to be introduced shortly.

Get the Story:
Higher profile sought for lawsuit (The Missoulian 7/4)
Cobell speech inspires, shames (The Great Falls Tribune 7/4)

Relevant Documents:
Trust Reform and Cobell Settlement Workgroup Principles for Legislation (June 2005)

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Intertribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Senate Indian Affairs Committee - http://indian.senate.gov

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