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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2002

The fourth meeting over a proposal to create a new Indian trust agency was held in South Dakota on Thursday and was a repeat of prior sessions in terms of opposition.

But the emotions were much more charged as tribal leader after tribal leader rose to denounce the plan as one crafted without input from Indian Country. They said creating a new Bureau of Indian Trust Assets Management (BITAM) would not solve long-running management problems and would create more fractionation.

They also repeatedly blasted Secretary of Interior Gale Norton's decision to hire Ross Swimmer, who ran the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the last three years of the Reagan administration, to make the transition to a new agency. The transition, however, is on hold pending completing of the consultation sessions.

Tribes also offered up alternatives to the BITAM. The Oglala Lakota Tribe of South Dakota proposed creating a Department of Indian Affairs to handle all Indian policy, including trust, health and education.

Development of a task force to develop other proposals also moved forward.

The next meeting is in San Diego, California, on January 17.

Get the Story:
Proposals return trust management to hands of BIA (The Lincoln Journal Star 1/11)
Tribal leaders angered by plan to alter land trusts (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 1/11)
Area tribes dislike BIA plan (The Rapid City Journal 1/11)

More on Task Force:
NCAI: Nominations Needed (1/4)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

Related Stories:
Tribes prepare for BITAM consultation (1/10)
Indian trust consultation on Jan. 10 (1/8)
EDS trust report being finalized (1/8)
Tribes fending off Norton proposal (1/4)
More BITAM consultations planned (1/4)
Editorial: No confidence in Norton plan (1/2)
Norton circles her wagon (1/2)
Trust fund regulations revised (1/2)
Cobell: Justice for Indian Country (12/24)
Tribal leaders blast Norton proposal (12/21)
Consultation wagon continues in Minn. (12/20)
Interior might hold more consultations (12/20)
Checks to Great Lakes region delayed (12/20)
Taking lead on trust reform proves tough (12/19)
DOI promises web site update (12/18)
BITAM consultation on Dec. 20 (12/17)
Tribes continue assault on Norton plan (12/14)
In The Hoop: The War on Tribalism (12/14)
Norton must end the Indian Trust sham (12/13)
Tribal consultation begins on BITAM (12/13)
Norton set for first consultation (12/13)
Attorneys barred from BITAM consultation (12/12)
NPR covers BIA overhaul, trust fund (12/11)
Indian panel urging BITAM slow down (12/10)
Norton 'offers' to meet with tribes (12/7)
Norton cleared for tribal consultation (12/6)
House to hold hearings on BIA overhaul (12/5)
McCaleb doubts tribal opposition (12/4)
Interior extends comment period (12/4)
Trust fund report still can't be found (12/4)
Tribal leaders worried about consultation (12/4)