"Increasingly in recent times, national Indian efforts have been weakened or thwarted by one, two or a dozen tribes striking out on their own for a better deal; not for everyone, but for themselves only.

The backstory to this series of Senate hearings is that certain tribal leaders paid top dollar to bottom feeders to do the dirty work of elevating their tribes by keeping others down. While a few of these tribal leaders are victims, others are just being portrayed as victims in order to get the pit bulls off the streets.

By contrast, the trust funds lawsuit and the settlement principles are united Indian efforts to gain some justice and some cash for Indian people who own property and haven't seen all or any income from leases and sales handled by the federal government.

Over the course of nine years of litigation, some tribal leaders have joined forces with federal bureaucrats and politicians to try to kill the trust funds case by legislative fiat. They have lobbyists and lawyers on their payroll who will soon start circling the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and other congressional offices with the hope of undermining legislation based on the proposed principles.

The senators and representatives should close their doors to the tribal leaders and their paid naysayers who don't like these principles but don't have any of their own.

Tribal leaders who are considering pouring money into Washington lobbyists' pockets to fight legislation based on the proposed principles should instead put it in the hands of their tribal people who need it and may not live to see any settlement monies."

Get the Story:
Harjo: Trust matters - Money and Indian unity (Indian Country Today 6/23)

Relevant Documents:
Trust Reform and Cobell Settlement Workgroup Principles for Legislation (June 2005)

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Intertribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Senate Indian Affairs Committee - http://indian.senate.gov

Related Stories:
Editorial: Trust fund a 'national embarassment' (6/22)
Indian Country united on trust reform solutions (6/21)
Trust workgroup to outline Cobell settlement goals (6/17)
Echohawk optimistic on settlement of Cobell case (06/03)
Final trust reform meeting held in North Dakota (6/3)
UTTC hosts meeting on trust reform legislation (6/1)
House panel acts to restore Bush budget cuts (05/05)
NCAI and ITMA hold second trust reform meeting (05/04)
Bush administration won't give up fight on Cobell (03/18)
McCain weighs GAO probe of Indian trust debacle (03/10)
McCain lays out Indian agenda for 109th Congress (3/7)
Norton won't testify on trust fund retaliation (2/28)
Bush official won't accept claims of trust mismanagement (02/17)
Appeals court won't hold back Lamberth on trust reform (12/13)
Appeals court supports Lamberth's authority on IT (12/06)
Lamberth critical of Norton's 'bad faith' on trust fund (10/25)
Interior denies attempt to halt trust fund payments (10/05)
Bush administration challenges trust fund ruling (09/16)
Appeals court takes on Cobell trust fund case (9/15)
Lamberth exchanges harsh words with Cobell critic (08/02)
Bush administration calls for end to Cobell case (04/09)
Cobell trust fund suit mediators announced (4/6)
DOI's Internet connection shut down for third time (03/16)
Lamberth defends special master against attack (03/16)
Anderson praises Cobell suit in NCAI speech (2/25)
Tribes still frustrated on trust reform (11/20)
Bush officials blasted by tribal leaders (11/19)
Cobell plaintiffs disputing trust fund rider (11/17)
Daschle criticizes 'shameful' rider in DOI budget bill (11/04)
Norton welcomes time-out in Cobell trust fund case (11/4)
Bush official balks at large settlement for Cobell (7/10)