"Once again, the U.S. Department of the Interior's special trustee, and by extension the Bush administration, has chosen an especially preposterous position to take, and I have to speak out.

Not because I feel the need to on my own, but because I have since heard from an overwhelming number of Indian trust account holders from across the country who feel that Special Trustee Ross Swimmer has launched an attack on them, too.

Any time Interior decides that the best course of action in a given situation is to attack the credibility of a deceased but kind old Indian lady whose only sin was to unfortunately contract diabetes and then ask for help in enjoying the remaining days of her life, we know there is a major problem in decision-making, and lack of common sense, at the department.

Swimmer compounds his mistake by choosing the media to propagate his unwise position. I am almost relieved that the special trustee didn't use his phone calls to Indian Country Today to challenge whether this Indian lady even had diabetes when she was alive.

The big difference between Indian tribal leaders and the department is that when our citizens come to us in pain and need, we take them seriously.

We believe our own people when they come to us and tell us what their situation is. So, while I think it is one thing for the special trustee to try and attack me, I think it is entirely unfair, unwise and definitely dangerous for him to attack our Indian elders and other Indian account holders.

We are not going to stand for it."

Get the Story:
Tex Hall: Interior's Swimmer has preposterous position (Indian Country Today 5/12)

Judge Lamberth Rulings
Trust Fund Notices (July 12, 2005) | Internet Shutdown (October 20, 2005)

Indian Trust Reform Act:
S.1439 | H.R.4322

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 Land Working Group - http://www.ilwg.net
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

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