Cobell vs. Salazar

The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held an hour long hearing today in the appeal of trial judge Robinson’s ruling in the case of the over 100 year’s of mismanagement of the Indian Trust Fund. Even after Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s statements that he would try to settle the litigation, the government argued today that the Native Americans who have had their trust money mismanaged are owed nothing.

So much for the Obama administration providing “hope and change” in Federal-Native American relations. It’s the “same old, same old” all over again. The government could settle this in a heartbeat by offering a fair settlement to the plaintiffs but, and this is the third administration that has been dealing with this, the only attitude is to stonewall and offer nothing. Let’s hope the Court of Appeals does the right thing.

In an ominous note regarding the case, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, Mark Levy, committed suicide by gunshot just a few days ago. I hope there will be an investigation of this.

Here isthe Indian Trust website: http://www.indiantrust.com/