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The Week in Review
ending December 7
WEEK IN REVIEW: Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb announces reorganization of Bureau of Indian Affairs and Office of Special Trustee. File   Photo  NSM.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Assistant
Secretary Neal McCaleb
File Photo © NSM.
Want In The Hoop's list of the week's Winners and Losers? Wait no more.

Missed the week's stories? Get a complete listing here.

Supreme Court reviews trust relationship
All eyes were on the Supreme Court this week as it heard two cases affecting the federal government's fiduciary responsibilities to Indian tribes.

At issue is whether tribes can sue for breach of trust and whether the U.S. is liable for breaching it. The Navajo Nation cites a loss of $600 million for a federally-approved leasing agreement that was not in its best interest while the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona claims the Bureau of Indian Affairs let its trust property go to waste.

During two hours of questioning, the justices appeared more favorable to the one case than the other, leading some Indian law experts to predict a victory for the Apache Tribe. But whatever the final decision, expected by summer 2003, it has the potential to affect tribes throughout the country.

Get the Story:
Supreme Court takes on trust (12/2)
A humane and self-imposed policy (12/2)
U.S. promises at issue in trust cases (12/2)
Court considers Navajo dispute (12/3)
U.S. pressed on trust duties (12/3)
Cobell trust claim not based on damages (12/3)
Supreme Court weighs trust relationship (12/3)
Editorial: Navajo Nation bilked of millions (12/3)
Panel predicts Apache victory (12/4)
Navajo council considers Peabody pipeline (12/4)

Bush takes another stab at reorganization
A little over a year ago, the Bush administration unveiled a plan to reform management of Indian trust assets. Known as BITAM, it was widely rejected in Indian Country.

After ten months of talks with tribal leaders, which ultimately broke down over key issues, the Department of Interior was back again this week with an alternative that was much more broad than that earlier proposal. Although some of the changes at the the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Office of Special Trustee (OST) will affect trust services, the reorganization was largely bureaucratic and realigned a number of non-trust programs.

The proposal also doesn't address fractionation of Indian lands, historical accounting of Indian funds and other improvements. Some reforms require legislative action but tribal leaders and the department are still in disagreement on how to proceed.

Get the Story:
McCaleb to announce BIA reorganization (12/4)
The Contemptuous Judge Gale Norton (12/4)
McCaleb announces reorganization (12/5)
New proposal is BITAM plus more (12/5)
McCaleb says credibility 'undermined' (12/5)
Changes proposed, again, at DOI (12/5)
Trust records office shuffled again (12/6)
McCaleb being deposed today on e-mails (12/6)
BIA reorganization 'waste of money' (12/6)
Norton doesn't want to leave DOI (12/6)

more stories
There's still more to read in the recap of the top stories.


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