Trust
Judge halts sale of Indian allotments in Oklahoma


U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth put a temporary hold on an auction of Indian allotments that was to be held on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs invited sealed bids for the purchase of 26 allotments covering about 2,000 acres. Some surface and mineral rights were involved.

The plaintiffs objected to the auction on the grounds that it violated the government's trust responsibilities. The BIA didn't plan on conducting appraisals of the allotments, according to court documents.

Attorneys for Interior Secretary Gale Norton responded that the proposed temporary restraining order was outside the scope of the Cobell lawsuit. They argued before a hearing on Tuesday afternoon. Lamberth signed the order shortly afterward.

Get the Story:
Judge stops Indian land auction (AP 9/2)
pwpwd

Relevant Documents:
Temporary Restraining Order | List of Auction Properties | Motion for TRO

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

Related Stories:
Probate reform bill heads to Senate for vote (01/29)
NCAI president uses speech to lobby for funding (01/22)
Tribes back improvements in probate reform bill (10/16)
Panel debating reform bill a third time (10/15)
Tribes focus energies on 'core' trust reform issues (05/30)
On fractionation, little progress in decades (05/09)
Indian land bill draws complaints from all sides (05/08)
Congress tackles trust land reform bill (5/6)
Bush land program called inadequate (5/6)