"Finally, a breakthrough may be at hand in the one of the federal government's longest-running embarrassments � a lawsuit filed in 1996 by the Native American Rights Fund, demanding an accounting for more than a century's worth of federal mismanagement of tribal trust funds.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that American Indians suing the government over billions of dollars in lost royalties say they are contemplating an offer by some members of Congress to resolve their lawsuit for $8 billion. That would be considerably lower than the $27.5 billion plaintiffs offered to settle for a year ago, and nowhere near the $100 billion they said they were owed in oil, gas, timber, grazing and other royalties from Indian lands dating back to 1887.

The major problem throughout this ongoing legal drama is that a full accounting is virtually impossible because of incomplete records after all these years.

But even $8 billion is a lot of money � it would pay for a couple of the Black Rock-class of reservoir being proposed east of Yakima.

Any settlement must give clear indication that the Indians were victimized by at least that much. Then let's shut off the meter for ongoing legal costs and get the settlement money to deserving American Indians who have waited for it long enough."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Time to get settlement funds to Indians (The Yakima Herald-Republic 7/28)

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

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Kempthorne - 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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