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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2002

The federal judge overseeing the Individual Indian Money (IIM) lawsuit has scheduled a hearing to address trust fund statements the Bush administration mailed without court approval.

The Department of Interior said the statements for minor members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe are part of its historical accounting effort. Attorneys representing 500,000 Indian beneficiaries dispute the claim.

The plaintiffs filed a motion to halt the distribution of the statements pending court review but the department sent them anyway. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth will now hear the motion, along with other arguments about the effort.

The hearing will take place in federal district court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, November 1. It is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Relevant Documents:
Schedule for Hearing (10/29)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

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