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Native finance group supports appeal in Cobell case (08/20)
The Native American Finance Officers Association supports an appeal of the $455.6 million ruling in the Cobell trust fund case. NAFOA President Bill Lomax said he was "flabbergasted" by the low figure in the long-running case. The Cobell plaintiffs had...
Letter: Indian Country shortchanged in Cobell (08/18)
"I appreciated the article on the lawsuit that Native Americans had filed against the U.S. government and the news that a federal judge ruled that the government owes Native Americans millions of dollars for profits made from lands the government...
Off the Reservation: Cobell ruling a slap in the face (08/15)
"Back in June, I was riding back to Missoula with my girlfriend, aunt and grandmother. It’s a long drive from Ft. Belknap to Missoula, so we idled time with conversation, music and news. The newscaster told us about the lawsuit...
Cobell to appeal $455.6M ruling 'as soon as possible' (08/13)
Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, said an appeal of a $455.6 million restitution judgment will be filed "as soon as possible" during an appearance on Democracy Now. "The opinion is both profoundly disappointing and...
Jodi Rave: Interior can't find owners of $73M (08/13)
"The Interior Department owes tens of millions of dollars to tens of thousands of Native people - but it doesn't know where to send the checks. Nearly $73 million sits in a U.S. Treasury account waiting to be claimed by...
Editorial: Indian Country owed more than $455.6M (08/11)
"Finally, a federal judge has come up with a dollar figure in a long-running class action trust case involving 500,000 Native American plaintiffs. While the dispute is not over, the ruling from U.S. District Court Judge James Robertson should serve...
Jodi Rave: Cobell to appeal $455.6M decision (08/11)
"Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the Interior Department, on Friday said lawyers representing thousands of Native landowners will appeal a final ruling issued by a federal judge in a 12-year-long trust fund case. An appeal...
Cobell decision close to low figure cited by government (08/08)
Holding true to his promise to resolve the long-running Cobell case, a federal judge on Thursday said Indian beneficiaries are only owed $455.6 million for the historical mismanagement of their trust funds. Judge James Robertson hinted at a low figure...
Judge issues final ruling in Cobell trust case (08/07)
Judge James Robertson issued his final ruling in the Cobell v. Kempthorne case, concluding that Indian beneficiaries are owed $455.6 million for mismanagement of their trust funds. The amount is far lower than the $47 billion sought by the Cobell...
Osage Nation holds forum on trust fund lawsuits (08/07)
The Osage Nation of Oklahoma is hosting a forum to discuss its trust fund lawsuits. The tribe is suing the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for breach of trust. A lawsuit for an historical accounting, similar...
Judge weighs next step in tribal trust lawsuits (07/25)
As the landmark Cobell Indian trust fund suit heads into its final chapter, a federal judge on Thursday contemplated opening a new one for hundreds of tribes. Judge James Robertson plans to wrap up the 12-year-old Cobell case next month...
Judge to issue final ruling in Cobell case in August (06/26)
The federal judge handling the landmark Indian trust fund lawsuit said on Wednesday he will issue a final ruling in August. After 10 days of trial, Judge James Robertson heard closing arguments in the 12-year-old case. Though he has ruled...
Judge to hear final arguments in landmark Cobell trial (06/25)
Closing arguments will be heard this afternoon in the landmark Cobell v. Kempthorne trial. Judge James Robertson convened the trial on June 9. After nine days of testimony, the plaintiffs presented their final rebuttal witness yesterday. Robertson will now try...
Washington law firm invests millions in Cobell case (06/23)
The Kilpatrick Stockton law firm in Washington, D.C., has spent $22 million on the Cobell v. Kempthorne case, The Legal Times reports. At least 15 lawyers from the firm have worked on the case since it was filed in 1996....
Final ruling in Cobell case expected by mid-July (06/20)
The federal judge handling the Indian trust fund lawsuit said on Thursday that he expects to issue a final ruling by mid-July. Judge James Robertson convened a trial to determine how much money, if any, is owed to Indian beneficiaries...
Osage Nation sees big increase in oil lease bids (06/19)
The Osage Nation of Oklahoma reported $643,900 in oil lease bids at a live auction on Wednesday. Thirty-six leases were offered and all of them sold. Sixteen went for more than $20,000 each and one went for about $43,000, the...
Osage Nation seeks to intervene in Cobell case (06/19)
After its friend of the court brief was rejected, the Osage Nation of Oklahoma is now seeking to intervene in the Indian trust fund lawsuit as the case heads to final resolution. The tribe wants to intervene for the "limited"...
En Francais: Elouise Cobell ready for battle (06/19)
"Dans la salle d'audience, sa veste en soie jaune tranche sur les costumes sombres des avocats. Elouise Cobell a le regard combatif. Au nom de la nation Blackfeet du Montana, elle a porté plainte en 1996 contre le gouvernement des...
Cobell judge rejects early end to landmark trial (06/17)
The federal judge handling the Indian trust fund lawsuit said on Monday he will wait until he hears all of the evidence before ruling in the landmark case. Judge James Robertson began hearing testimony last Monday to determine how much...
Audio: Cobell discusses trust fund trial on NPR (06/17)
Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, appeared on NPR's Tell Me More program on Monday. Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, discussed the history of the case. She said Indian trust beneficiaries...
Cobell to appear on NPR program 'Tell Me More' (06/16)
Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, will appear on NPR's Tell Me More program this afternoon. Cobell taped the segment on Friday. She is in Washington, D.C., for the ongoing trial that will determine how...
Jodi Rave: Testimony continues in historic Cobell trial (06/16)
"A federal judge took note of witness testimonies last week in a landmark trial that will award a historic cash settlement to Native landowners in a class-action lawsuit against the Interior Department. U.S. District Judge James Robertson will determine...
Letter: Indians kept poor by federal government (06/16)
"Del Quentin Wilber gave a succinct overview of a momentous trial concerning what the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has called "government malfeasance" regarding the handling of individual Indian trust accounts over the past century. Federal mismanagement...
Judge rejects Osage Nation brief in Cobell case (06/13)
A federal judge on Thursday denied an attempt by the Osage Nation to enter the Indian trust fund lawsuit but the status of the tribe's hefty royalties remains at issue as the case heads towards final resolution. The tribe filed...
Editorial: Indians short-changed by trustee (06/13)
"When the Founding Fathers created a constitutional guarantee of speedy trials, it's a good bet they didn't envision having major litigation plodding along 12 years after the filing of a lawsuit. But since its beginning, this particular case has made...
Editorial: $58B trust payout more than fair (06/13)
"A conclusion to Cobell v. Kempthorne is in sight. The accountability of the U.S. government has been of chief concern to hundreds of thousands of defrauded Indian people, some of whom died poor waiting for this day. The plaintiffs, represented...
Cobell plaintiffs rest case in trust fund trial (06/12)
After three days of testimony, the plaintiffs in the Indian trust fund lawsuit rested their primary case on Wednesday. The final witness was Don Pallais, an accountant. He testified about the reliability of the federal government's data on the Individual...
Cobell plaintiffs defend $58B claim in trust fund trial (06/11)
The landmark Indian trust fund trial continued on Tuesday as the plaintiffs sought to back up their claim to billions of dollars of restitution. Witness Bradford Cornell testified at length about an economic model he developed to determine how much...
Trial seeks to resolve Indian trust fund lawsuit (06/11)
After 120 years, a federal judge is trying to determine how much money, if any, is owed to Indian beneficiaries for the use of their land. Judge James Robertson inherited the Cobell v. Kempthorne case in December 2006. He...
Jodi Rave: Cobell happy with opening day of trial (06/10)
"Elouise Cobell filed a class-action lawsuit against the Interior Department 12 years ago on Tuesday, a date that also marks the second day of a long-awaited trial expected to award a historic cash settlement to Native landowners. The Cobell vs....
Judge opens landmark trial in trust fund case (06/10)
The landmark trial in the Indian trust fund case began on Monday as the Bush administration drastically revised some key figures in the long-running lawsuit. During opening statements, attorneys for the plaintiffs and the federal government clashed over the amount...
Jodi Rave: Cobell trial begins in Washington DC (06/09)
"A federal judge on Monday will gavel to a start the trial that will potentially award billions of dollars to Native landowners whose income from natural resources has been mismanaged and misused by the U.S. government for more than a...
Judge holds one last hearing before big Cobell trial (06/03)
The federal judge handling the Indian trust fund lawsuit said on Monday he plans to hold a two- to three-week trial to determine how much money is owed to hundreds of thousands of Indian beneficiaries. The trial, which begins next...
Judge holds final hearing before Cobell trial (06/02)
The federal judge handling the Cobell v. Kempthorne trust fund case is holding a pre-trial conference today at 2pm in Washington, D.C. The conference is the last before the June 9 trial. Judge James Robertson plans to resolve the 11-year-old...
After six-plus years, BIA website finally online (05/27)
After more than six years, the Bureau of Indian Affairs website is back online. The BIA lost Internet connectivity in December 2001 after a court investigator found vulnerabilities that put billions of dollars of Indian trust funds at risk. Most...
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