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Norton contempt testimony concludes
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2002 Last updated: 5:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It took 28 days but the testimony in Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's contempt trial has finally concluded. The final witness this afternoon was National Congress of American Indians President and Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Chairman Tex Hall. Appearing on behalf of the Indian beneficiaries, Hall testified for one and one-half hours on a number of topics. Chief among them was the proposal to create a Bureau of Indian Trust Assets Management (BITAM). Hall reiterated that tribes oppose the new agency unanimously due the lack of consultation but also because he said it fails to address trust management problems. "We call it bite 'em," said Hall. Hall responded to Norton's testimony before a Congressional committee and said he was "disheartened" when she claimed BITAM was "superior" to any tribal proposal. "It set back a lot of tribal leaders," he said. Hall also discounted Norton's claim that tribes don't want the Bureau of Indian Affairs to change. To the contrary, he said tribal leaders have sought changes at the local level and that BITAM won't address their needs. Another topic addressed was the computer shutdown on Indian Country. As an Individual Indian Money (IIM) account holder, Hall testified that he hasn't received his own checks for grazing and agricultural leases since November. He added that 6,000 other IIM account holders on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota haven't been paid. "They are having to do without," he said. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth took particular notice of the testimony and wondered why tribal members haven't received checks. According to the Department of Interior and a Department of Justice attorney, grazing payments are being made yet Hall and others have yet to receive the funds. Finally, Hall said he supported a receiver for the IIM trust because he said judicial oversight was the only way reform would be accomplished. But he said he and other tribal leaders were still willing to work with the department to develop long-term reforms. "A lot of us call this the Indian Enron," he said, lamenting the state of affairs. But he added: "We can't give up. It's our people. It's our land." Closing arguments will be made tomorrow morning starting at 10 a.m. Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
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 Related Stories:
McCaleb talks trust with Sam (2/19)
Norton recounts shaky year in trust (2/15)
Norton tries to convince judge on trust reform (2/14)
Norton says plaintiffs' accounting complete (2/14)
Griles has hope on contempt (2/13)
Norton concludes testimony (2/13)
Norton takes the stand in contempt (2/13)
Norton agrees to testify (2/12)
Norton set for trial testimony (2/12)
Trust fund mess blamed on Babbitt (2/11)
Norton ordered to testify (2/8)
Trust system takes center stage in contempt (2/1)
Federal judge resuming Norton contempt trial (1/31)
Norton effort 'too little, too late' for judge (1/16)
Interior official denies trust fund 'conspiracy' (1/15)
Witness testifies against software corruption (1/15)
Dom Nessi expected as Norton witness (1/14)
Norton launches contempt defense (1/11)
Cobell plaintiffs rest case (1/10)
End in sight for Norton contempt trial (1/10)
Top trust official lacks 'confidence' in reform (1/9)
Babbitt, others dropped as witnesses (1/9)
Trial resumes with trust testimony (1/7)
Contempt trial resumes in federal court (1/4)
Cobell: Justice for Indian Country (12/24)
Contempt trial breaking for Christmas (12/21)
IIM checks being delayed at Interior (12/21)
Interior can't find proof of corruption (12/21)
Tribal leaders blast Norton proposal (12/21)
Reports crucial to Norton contempt (12/21)
TAAMS failure traced to first manager (12/20)
TAAMS: The Titanic Failure (12/20)
Judge questions role in trust fund 'circus' (12/20)
Norton drops objections to court monitor (12/20)
TAAMS: The Titanic Failure (12/20)
Judge questions role in trust fund 'circus' (12/20)
TAAMS failure traced to promoted manager (12/20)
Ruling on court monitor put off (12/20)
Norton ordered to submit trust fund report (12/18)
Judge rebuffs Norton challenge (12/17)
Week two of trial continues today (12/17)
History of neglect drives trust case (12/17)
Judge eager for Norton testimony (12/13)
Editorial: Bad faith, wasted dollars (12/13)
Confusion, conflict detailed at Interior (12/12)
Exclusive: Trust reform assessment (12/12)
Lamberth pokes fun at government (12/12)
EDS trust reform report online (12/12)
Coverage of Contempt Trial, Day 2 (12/12)
Contempt trial continues (12/11)
Contested reports focus of contempt trial (12/11)
The Trial: Witnesses to Contempt (12/11)
Coverage of Contempt Trial, Day 1 (12/11)
Norton contempt trial opens (12/10)
Norton attacks court monitor (12/10)
Norton set for contempt trial (12/10)
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