Baregrass.Com » Cobell vs Salazar

Questions For Eloise Cobell

baregrass — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:26:29 +0000

In the case of Cobell vs. Salazar Ms. Cobell is taking questions from those native Americans that will be affected by the recent settlement offer from the federal government. Here is the web site and instructions:

http://cobellsettlement.com/class/ask_elouise.php

It is our hopes that Congress will pass the enabling legislation and the process can move forward.

Cobell vs. Salazar

baregrass — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:26:15 +0000

Finally! Looks like there might be a resolution to the lawsuit filed so many years ago by Elouise Cobell of the Blackfeet tribe against the US Department of the Interior. The lawsuit claimed that the federal government mismanaged individual Indians’ trust accounts and had been doing so for around a hundred years. For more and better details go to the plaintiff’s press release here.

For all my criticisms of the Obama administration they have made an effort here to clear up one of the festering wounds in the relations between the Native Americans and the federal government. I just wish the amount settled on was much closer to the real damage done to the tribes. We can send billions overseas but we can’t do right by the poorest and most under represented population in this country. Now Congress has to do the right thing and clear this settlement out fast.

Congratulations to Ms. Cobell and God bless you.

Cobell vs. Salazar

baregrass — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:17:53 +0000

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/

Another Promise To Indians on The Way To Being Broken?

baregrass — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:41:51 +0000

“Honor the Trust Responsibility: Barack Obama recognizes that honoring the government-to-government relationship requires fulfillment of the United States’ trust responsibility to tribes and individual Indians. More specifically, Obama is committed to meaningful reform of the broken system that manages and administers the trust lands and other trust assets belonging to tribes and individual Indians. Further, he is committed to resolving equitably with both tribes and individual Indians litigation resulting from the past failures in the administration and accounting of their trust assets.”

The above quote is from my.barackobama.com/page/content/firstamissues#sovereignty

If the president is really serious about keeping that promise he could very well start by settling the Cobell vs. Salazar case that is still in its agonizing 13 year journey through the federal court system. Despite statements that he wanted to settle the case President Obama’s new secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, is now backtracking and saying that he has to wait for the outcome of the court of appeals hearing scheduled in May. What a bunch of baloney! If the administration wanted to settle it could do so tomorrow by contacting the plaintiff and arriving at an agreement. A radical change for the better in how the government deals with Native Americans would be a good thing and a good way to start would be for the administration to do the right thing in this case. I don’t think it will happen though but there is still hope.

Two more last comments. This administration and previous administrations have absolutely no problem with giving away billions to other countries, much of which goes into the hands of corrupt and greedy officials with no sense of social conscience for their own people. Billions more have been funneled to foreign banks by means of the recent bailouts. Is it so hard to do the right thing by the remnants of the First Nations of this country?? And, considering the treatment given to the Arapahos and the Cheyennes by the State of Colorado, it would be nice if Secretary Salazar, who is a former Senator from Colorado, could make a step towards wiping that blot out by sitting down and coming to an equitable agreement with the plaintiff.