Correction: The United Tribes of North Dakota, representing the five tribes in the state, have not taken a position on the Barrasso Amendment. The tribes passed a resolution in December 2009 in support of the settlement.

Wyoming's two tribes are urging the Senate to reject a controversial amendment to the Indian trust fund settlement.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe say the amendment offered by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, would kill the $3.4 billion deal. They say Congress should not attempt to change the settlement.

"If Senator Barrasso's Amendment passes, it will be a lost opportunity to achieve a fair settlement for Indian Country," the leaders of the two tribes said in a letter.

Barrasso's amendment has stirred divisions among tribes. In addition to the Wyoming tribes, the Blackfeet Nation, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation of Oregon, the Skagway Tribe of Alaska and alottees groups representing Crow landowners and Shoshone-Bannock landowners oppose the proposal.

But the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians passed a resolution in support of the amendment. The Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association also passed a resolution in support.

The National Congress of American Indians, the largest inter-tribal organization, does not support or oppose the amendment. But a letter that the group's president wrote has generated complaints from tribes about NCAI's handling of the situation.

American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act:
Press Release: Baucus, Levin To Release Joint Legislation To Create Jobs, Extend Tax Cuts for Families and Businesses, Support Americans Looking for Work | Background and More Information

Cobell Settlement Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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