Obama Administration Promises To Settle The Indian Trust Suit

13 years ago Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, brought a class action lawsuit over the federal government's mismanagement of individual Indian trust accounts. Two previous Secretaries of the Interior had been held in civil contempt on the case. During the Bush years, the Interior Department claimed that their computers had erased all the records for the individual accounts.

Secretary of the Interior Salazar promised to bring the case to conclusion. The case will benefit more than 500,000 Indians covered by the lawsuit. Ms. Cobell said," We are happy that the Obama Administration appears to be taking a positive view toward resolving our case. The Secretary must understand that the Cobell litigation cannot be settled unless such a settlement is fair, equitable and in accordance with trust law."