"Rather than spend 200 years and billions of dollars on questionable accounting, just settle Indian trust fund claims - and give the people the money to manage themselves.

Virtually beyond dispute is the fact that the U.S. Department of the Interior badly mismanaged resource-royalty accounts held in trust for American Indians. The only real question is how much money the government owes them.

Coming up with a figure most likely will fall to negotiators, not accountants. The issue has been in the courts for nearly a decade now, with too little meaningful progress toward resolution to show for it. A federal appeals court ruling last week, however, could get the ball rolling toward settlement."

Get the Story:
Editorial: A job for negotiators, not accountants (The Missoulian 11/25)

Historical Accounting Decision:
Cobell v. Norton (November 15, 2005)

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
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Intertribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org

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