"Circumstances took new twists last week. The Interior Department said its own audits of accounts it manages for thousands of American Indians have found few errors and little evidence that anyone tampered with records. At the same time, federal officials are investigating how National Archives documents of interest to those suing the Interior Department were found discarded in a trash bin and a wastebasket.

It wouldn't be the first time records have been sidetracked over the years.

Interior's latest accounting claims are self-serving at best. A federal judge has ordered agency officials to account for every dollar received and paid to Indians since 1887, but the agency claims such an accounting would cost $12 billion. They also claim efforts so far have found an error rate of less than 1 percent for those dollars that have been reconciled.

Pardon us if we find no comfort in such assurances."

Get the Story:
Just settle with Indians to end debacle (The Yakima Herald-Republic 9/27)

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

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