GovernmentExecutive.com

Return to Article: Interior seeks to settle Indian trust fund disputes for $7 billion

• 50685
  

  Being a half=breed. I am not interested in obtaining any monetary compensation from the Cobbell lawsuit. I do hope that the settlement is large enough to take care of the elders of the various tribes because they are the ones who have have done without most of their lives. It is a shame that the "trusted" ones have allowed the mismanagement of tribal monies, etc. Remeber the big corporations such as Enron who took advantage of their underlings and were rightly proscuted for it. So should the powers that allowed such atrocious mismanagement to take place. I know some people think the Indians should quit whining and get on with their lives. However, if the shoe was on the other foot, these same people who kick about warranted reparations to the tribes, would be the first ones whining if they had been so financially screwed.

  calvin allen Posted May 14, 2008 9:40 PM
• 31770
  

  I have also heard the money is "coming any day now" Is there a place to go to see what other tribes are involved in the lawsuit? I think this is horrible for the ones that have been waiting so long.

  CK Chadwick Posted August 28, 2007 7:59 PM
• 22188
  

  This story is a great illustration of the nonsense of "diversity". Perhaps it's time for the so-called Native Americans to get jobs, move off their reservations, and realize that their ancestors lost the wars with the USA well over a hundred years ago. Their illusory independence has only produced poverty, alcoholism, disease, and suffering. Heck, many of the plains indians fought over territories constantly (just like the Europeans), and boundaries shifted frequently. The concept of land ownership wasn't a Native American principle then, so why is it so important now. PBS and the liberal Hollywood view of history aside, these folks need to move into the present, forget Wounded Knee, and contribute to the USA, their country as well as ours.

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 6, 2007 3:12 PM
• 22057
  

  Not withstanding the issues and the core of the Cobell issue and not withstanding that the government does owe the tribes something for mismanagement of tribal funds in years past, this has gone on too long and now is turning into a vindictive and greedy mess on the part of Eloise Cobell and her lawyers. I believe that they enjoy holding the government hostage, threatening to shut down computer systems and threatening to continue "to fight injustice" irregardless of the cost. Her comment that the settlement offer is insufficient to settle her case alone tells me that she is no longer fighting for the good cause of all the litigants but is only interested in getting all the money she could possibly get out of the government. Or possibly it's her lawyers that want to dig as much money out of the "deep pockets" of the government as they possibly can. They seem to have lost perspective and it sounds like it's all about greed now and not about righting any perceived injustice. This one is going to continue to problem for many years to come and is going to continue to cost us taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars just to negotiate unless the litigants get real and agree to a settlement and get on with their lives.

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 30, 2007 11:47 AM
• 22054
  

  Yeah, I bet those thieves at Interior/BIA are hoping they can settle out of court! Anyone who has spent any time at all on a reservation knows why. All you have to do is see the conditions to know why the lawsuits were filed - to see it is to know how our dear Uncle Sam has been screwing his children for more than two centuries!

  Uncle always tries to sweep his problems under the rug, especially when it might cost money.

  Cracked & Wired Posted March 30, 2007 11:01 AM
• 22046
  

  I've been keeping up with this for years and if you ever get a chance to read the history of this case it will astound you. For many years our government officials have tried to deny any wrong doings, not comply with agreements/contracts and keep stealing from the American Indians. Most key politicians don't want anything to do with it and keep avoiding the issues. Clinton avoided it and Janet Reno when in office didn't even want to meet with Cobbell. Our officials would rather send the Indians' money to Iraq than make good on promises.

  No wonder no one has any faith in our government anymore. Do we agree, we can no longer believe anything our government officials tell us? It's hard to consider but maybe it's not foreign governments telling the lie but it could be just another lie being told by our government officials. I hate to say it but you see it everyday now, one lie after another so why is it hard to believe? Every time they tell us something we now will have to question whether it's a lie or the truth. Give the Indian tribes all of the money they are owed and admit our government has been lying to and cheating them for years!

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 30, 2007 8:07 AM