A Bureau of Indian Affairs school principal on the Navajo Nation wasn't told that her school's Internet connection was restored, The Gallup Independent reports.

Ft. Wingate Elementary principal Dianne Owens lamented the shutdown that was caused as a result of a federal judge's order last week. But despite the Department of Interior's press campaign declaring victory when the order was lifted on Wednesday, Owens didn't know about it until a reporter contacted her. Moments later, she realized she could log in.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to consider the department's information technology woes next week, when students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas, one of the schools that lost access, return.

Get the Story:
BIA's Alamo school feels pinch of losing it's Internet access (The Gallup Independent 3/25)
Haskell Web access restored, thanks to appellate ruling (The Lawrence Journal-World 3/26)
Federal Court issues stay on BIA Internet connections (The Gallup Independent 3/25)

Relevant Documents:
Cubin Letter to Judge Lamberth (March 24, 2004)

Relevant Documents:
Daschle Letter on Internet Shutdown (March 19, 2004)

Court Decisions:
Memorandum Opinion | Preliminary Injunction

GAO Report:
Departmental Leadership Crucial to Success of Investment Reforms at Interior (September 2003)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

Related Stories:
Appeals court issues stay of DOI shutdown order (3/25)
DOI blames Lamberth for late royalty payments (3/24)
SIPI distance learning affected by Internet shutdown (3/23)
BIA seeks Internet access for its schools (3/23)
DOI says Internet shutdown affects BIA schools (3/18)
Judge orders DOI shutdown of Internet connections (3/16)
Computer shutdown applies to all DOI systems (3/16)
BIA shows off information technology facility (3/2)
Appeals court to hear Cobell disqualification dispute (3/1)
Anderson praises Cobell suit in NCAI speech (2/25)
Lamberth orders DOI to turn over IT reports (12/12)
DOI fares poorly on computer security report card (12/11)
Judge seeks to break impasse over trust systems (07/29)
BIA incident prompts high-level recommendation (03/27)
Court report blasts McCaleb for destroying records (01/27)
Court: McCaleb 'fabricated' e-mail story (1/24)
BIA aides circumventing court (12/16)
Martin's role in incident surfaces (12/16)
BIA aides e-mail use prompts inquiry (12/17)
McCaleb admits to e-mail 'misunderstanding' (10/23)
Burns takes on BIA problems in stride (08/23)
McCaleb gets new computer official (6/5)
Retaliation charged as BIA official jumps ship (7/25)