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TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2002

Another deadline for one of Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's promises has come and gone.

A comprehensive plan for an historical accounting of 300,000 American Indian beneficiaries was due to Indian Country, Congress and a federal judge by June 30. But as of yesterday, no documents were provided and no explanation was given for the apparent delay.

Several Department of Interior representatives contacted had few answers. Some were just as confused about the failure for the long-awaited plan to materialize.

The effort was to job of Bert T. Edwards, a former Clinton administration official tapped to head the Office of Historical Trust Accounting. A former Arthur Andersen partner, Edwards hired the now convicted company to carry out some pilot projects for the accounting.

Relevant Links:
Office of Historical Trust Fund Accounting - http://www.doi.gov/ohta
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://130.94.214.68/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

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