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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2003

"It's a story that dates back to 1887 when the federal government set up the Indian Trust Fund to distribute the money generated by Indian land, "for the benefit of the Indian." On its face it sounds like a very generous thing to do - yes, we forced you on to itty bitty reservations, but the good news is, that when we start logging and mining those itty bitty reservations, you may get something.

Except the money had a tendency to vanish. What happened was, the law said the money had to be spent for the benefit of the Indian, but government officials had an interpretation of what constituted a benefit to the Indian that did not include giving the actual money TO the Indian.

The problem persisted until in 1996, when 300,000 Native Americans filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of the Interior demanding the money. Government attorneys pooh-poohed the suit, saying the claims were nebulous and without proof."

Get the Story:
The Osgood File (CBS Radio 1/8)

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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