After 120 years, a federal judge is trying to determine how much money, if any, is owed to Indian beneficiaries for the use of their land.
Judge James Robertson inherited the Cobell v. Kempthorne case in December 2006. He described the 12-year-old lawsuit as so contentious that no one can agree on anything.
But he hopes the trial, which began on Monday, will finally put a dollar figure on the dispute. The plaintiffs say $58 billion should be in the trust while the Department of Justice says only a couple hundred millions of dollars are unaccounted.
Testimony resumes today at 1:45pm.
Get the Story:What Is Owed to Native Americans? (The Washington Post 6/11)
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