"A recent online column [by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier] has the potential to do a disservice to the Indian Trust account holders of the Great Plains region by discouraging them from using the new Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians located in Rapid City, S.D. The intent of the new office, and all OST offices and staff in the field, is to work directly with Indian Trust beneficiaries and improve access to trust services and information that is so important to Indian people.

Frazier pointed out that the people of the Great Plains have a high stake in Indian Trust matters. I agree. There are more than 65,000 Individual Indian Money account holders in the Great Plains region. For the first time in the history of the trust, highly trained BIA staff members are dedicated to working on fiduciary trust matters with individual and tribal account holders at Winnebago, Standing Rock, Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Turtle Mountain, Sisseton and elsewhere in the Great Plains region. These fiduciary trust officers, most of whom are American Indians, work closely with BIA staff and in most instances are located right in BIA agency offices."

Get the Story:
Jim James: More services for Indian people (Indian Country Today 8/12)

Chairman Frazier on Trust Officers:
Harold Frazier: More smoke and mirrors for Indian people (Indian Country Today 7/29)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Office of Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov

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