New West: Elouise Cobell, the face of courage

Friday, April 13, 2007  

"Eloise Cobell spoke in UM’s Ethics at Noon series on Wednesday, giving a succinct accounting of what she’s been through in the last decade or so. Having taken on the U.S. bureaucracy, including the Departments of Interior, Treasury and Justice, in an attempt to right more than 100 years of wrongs in accounting on Indian lands, she is a figure larger than life for me. So when I heard she was going to be on campus, I scurried over to Turner Hall. I wanted to see what that kind of courage looked like.

Eloise is a banker, but in her role as the plaintiff in Cobell vs. Kempthorne, she has become an educator as well. She mentioned how important it has been for her to educate people about what has happened and to encourage them to take ownership of their government and their lives. She gave a brief rundown of the early years of her struggle in the class action suit to reclaim land royalties and the various legal cases and maneuvers, painting a grim picture of the face of government she has confronted.

She noted that the Secretary of the Interior, told the court when implementing the Dawes Act of 1887, that Indians were stupid and incapable of managing their lands and so the government was going to take control. At that point the Department of Interior became the trustee for lands owned by individual Indians, responsible for paying land owners royalties on oil, grazing and timber leases. Cobell said that at a hearing last week she felt those in charge were talking to her in a similar way – more than a century later."

Get the Story:
Eloise Cobell - The Face of Courage (The New West 4/13)

Settlement Letter:
Kempthorne-Gonzales to SCIA (March 1, 2007)

Relevant Documents:
Alberto Gonzales Testimony (March 1, 2005) | SCIA Views and Estimates (March 1, 2007)

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

Related Stories:
Jodi Rave: Cobell calls for accountability (4/12)
Editorial: No justice in $7B offer to settle Cobell (4/6)
Lawmaker questions $7B plan to settle trust cases (4/4)
Gonzales' trust testimony downplayed (3/30)
Listening Lounge: House hearing on BIA-OST (3/30)
Mediator suggests $7-9B settlement for Cobell (3/30)
Jodi Rave: Cobell calls trust offer 'insulting' (3/30)
Senate hearing on Indian trust fund litigation (3/29)
Gonzales won't testify on trust fund (3/28)
Supreme Court refuses Cobell appeals (3/27)
Editorial: The billion-dollar question (3/26)
Senate hearing on trust fund litigation on Thursday (3/26)
The downfall of J. Steven Griles (3/26)
Blast from the Past: NBC segment on Cobell (3/21)
Opinion: US owes Indians billions for theft (3/14)
Bush aide linked to Special Trustee firing resigns (3/14)
BIA names new director for Navajo regional office (3/14)
Mother Jones: Pennies on the dollar for Cobell (3/12)
Bush proposes $7B trust fund settlement (3/8)
Dorgan and Thomas disagree on Cobell settlement (1/22)
Jodi Rave: Cobell sees hope for case in new year (1/20)
NewStandard: Tribes turn to court over trust funds (01/08)
Jodi Rave: Interior mum on class action tribal suit (01/05)
Tribes file class action trust accounting lawsuit (01/04)
Cobell honored by AARP Magazine for trust work (12/19)
New Cobell judge knows Interior Department (12/13)
Rahall outlines Indian agenda for 110th Congress (12/11)
New judge assigned to Cobell trust fund case (12/08)
Cobell wins Impact Award from AARP Magazine (12/7)
Editorial: No hope for a Cobell-only settlement (12/1)
McCain staffer: No 'hijinx' during lame-duck (11/24)
Editorial: Another good shot emerges for Cobell (11/10)
Cobell says Bush kills legislative settlement (11/9)
Tribal opposition to trust reform bill growing (11/2)
Editorial: End federal management of trust (11/1)
Tribes face trust challenges from Bush administration (10/31)
Cobell attorney criticizes Bush changes to bill (10/27)
Staff confirms Bush behind Cobell proposals (10/26)
Bush seeks major changes to Cobell bill (10/24)
Senate committee holds more Cobell meetings (10/23)
Time running out on Cobell settlement bill (10/23)
Cobell sees parallels in Aboriginal wage theft (10/16)
NCAI to consider resolution in support of Cobell bill (10/6)
Bush assailed for 'ambush' on Indian health care (10/5)
Latest delay in Cobell settlement tied to White House (10/3)
Cobell: Interior mishandles Indian money too (10/2)
Navajo woman fights for trust fund accountability (9/25)
Senate committee sends Cobell letter to Kempthorne (9/18)
Interior delays Cobell settlement legislation (9/15)
McCain firm on $8B settlement for Cobell (9/5)
Senate staff to discuss Cobell settlement in Tulsa (8/30)
Cobell shifts appeal strategy to keep judge on case (8/29)
Cobell fights for judge in trust fund case (8/25)
Senate committee to discuss Cobell settlement (8/24)
Human Rights Magazine: Cobell, Native issues (8/22)
Editorial: Justice for Indian account holders (8/18)
Professor: Removal of Judge Lamberth a tragedy (8/7)
Cobell eager to settle Indian trust fund lawsuit (8/7)
Letter: Nearly $1B wasted on Swimmer's trust reform (8/7)
Editorial: Stop delaying settlement to Cobell (8/4)
McCain puts twist in Cobell settlement bill (8/3)
Bush officials asked McCain to delay Cobell settlement (8/3)
Cobell settlement bill 'dead' in Congress (8/2)
Time running out on Cobell settlement bill (7/28)
Editorial: It's time for settlement on Cobell (7/28)
Ross Swimmer: Interior still 'working' on trust (7/28)
Cobell issues statement on settlement talks (7/25)
Cobell settlement awaited in Indian Country (7/25)
Jodi Rave: Cobell worried about settlement legislation (7/24)
Mark Trahant: It's time for the U.S. to keep its word (7/17)
Editorial: Lamberth too honest in trust fund case (7/17)
Cooler heads sought in Indian trust fund fight (7/14)
Lamberth removed from Cobell trust fund case (7/12)
Lamberth is third judge removed by D.C. Circuit (7/12)
Cobell settlement rumored to be in the billions (7/5)
Cobell rallies for support on trust fund lawsuit (06/19)
Editorial: Give Kempthorne a chance on Cobell (6/15)
Cobell files contempt charges against Kempthorne (6/13)
Editorial: Dirk Kempthorne arrives in Washington (6/13)
Swimmer calls Cobell settlement 'reparations' (5/8)
Cobell: Settle Indian trust fund case for billions (4/20)
Cobell to appear on C-SPAN Washington Journal (4/12)
Cobell renews call for receiver as court hears case (4/12)
Cobell vows fight to resolve trust fund lawsuit (4/10)
Cobell plans big showing on day of court hearing (4/4)
Jodi Rave: Tribes alarmed at trust reform initiative (4/3)
Cobell addresses trust fund mismanagement (3/30)
Ross Swimmer: Indian trust not about mismanagement (3/29)
Norton denies fraud or major problem with trust (3/29)
GAO report warns of billions in lost oil, gas royalties (3/29)
Witness list for hearing on Indian Trust Reform Act (3/28)
DOI trust reform meeting set for Portland, Oregon (3/24)
Kempthorne faces hot issues at Interior Department (3/21)
DOI pressed for more clarity on trust initiative (3/3)
Congress urged to settle Cobell lawsuit for billions (03/02)
Listening Lounge: Joint hearing on Cobell v. Norton (03/01)
Interior hits the road with new trust reform initiative (02/08)
Jodi Rave: Garcia calls for settlement of Cobell (2/3)
Cason slashes BIA budget and blames it on Cobell (2/3)
Tribes discuss trust reform bill, Cobell settlement (1/31)
Commentary: Swimmer still not telling the truth on trust (1/26)
Opinion: Indians want $12B of 'YOUR' money (01/10)