"Until now there have been nine appeals of the class-action lawsuit I filed 12 years ago with four other Native Americans over the government's admitted mismanagement of the Indian Trust.

All nine appeals were filed by the government, anxious to avoid any liability for the damage that 121 years of abuse have cost this country's poorest citizens.

This time, the Indian plaintiffs are taking our case to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Why? It's not just the money that's at stake.

To be sure, the $455.6 million that U.S. District Judge James Robertson has ordered the government to pay is far less than what we believe we are owed. Just as important, we want the appeals court to review Robertson's reasoning, which, if left unchallenged, would effectively excuse future breaches of trust and theft of beneficiaries' trust assets. We believe Robertson is wrong."

Get the Story:
Elouise Cobell: Indians must appeal latest trust fund ruling (The Billings Gazette 9/16)

Certification for Appeal:
Cobell v. Kempthorne (September 4, 2008)

Historical Accounting Decision:
Cobell v. Kempthorne (August 7, 2008)

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