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Appeal granted for Cobell historical accounting (11/21)
The D.C. Court of Appeals has granted petitions to review a judge's decision to award $455.6 million in the Cobell Indian trust case. The plaintiffs and the federal government are both appealing the decision. The plaintiffs say the amount is...
Voice for the Voiceless: Cobell lawsuit a warning (11/13)
"On Aug. 7, U.S. District Court Judge James Robertson reached a verdict in Cobell v. Kempthorne, the largest class action lawsuit ever brought against the federal government. In his decision, Robertson determined that the plaintiffs – 500,000 individual Indians –...
Jodi Rave: Trust reform an issue for Obama (11/12)
"As Native America anxiously awaits a presidential appointment to the Interior Department, a congressional watchdog agency has told President-elect Barack Obama's transition team that Indian trust fund reform is a key issue before the department. “The soul of Indian Country...
Indian issues await Obama in Washington (11/10)
Trust reform and land-into-trust are being identified as two of the biggest Indian issues that await president-elect Barack Obama. The first African-American president in history takes office on January 20, 2009. With the inauguration rapidly approaching, the Government Accountability Office...
Opinion: Scoundrels and scandals at Interior (10/09)
"On Sept. 10, Earl Devaney, the Interior Department’s inspector general, released a report to Congress that documented — in lurid and embarrassing detail — the widespread use of sex, bribes and drugs by MMS employees to lubricate their professional relationships...
Jodi Rave: Corruption 'nothing new' at Interior (09/22)
"It's no surprise to Native landowners that a recent watchdog report revealed a culture of corruption within an Interior Department bureau responsible for overseeing lucrative tribal oil revenue accounts. The in-kind oil royalty program at the Minerals Management Service came...
Government appeals decision in Cobell case (09/19)
The Bush administration has appealed a federal judge's decision to award $455.6 million to the plaintiffs in the Cobell v. Kempthorne trust fund lawsuit. In a brief filed with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Department of Justice argues...
Cobell: Judge gives Interior a pass on trust duties (09/16)
"Until now there have been nine appeals of the class-action lawsuit I filed 12 years ago with four other Native Americans over the government's admitted mismanagement of the Indian Trust. All nine appeals were filed by the government, anxious to...
Appeal stretches Cobell lawsuit into another year (09/16)
After 12 years in the courts, it looks like the Cobell v. Kempthorne will last at least one more year as the plaintiffs pursue an appeal in the case. Lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of...
Cobell seeks to resolve trust issues on appeal (09/09)
The plaintiffs in the Cobell v. Kempthorne lawsuit hope to resolve several trust issues in their appeal of the long-running case. Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff, said the Interior Department should be treated like any other trustee. She said Judge...
Cobell: Lawsuit more than a question of dollars (09/08)
"When U.S. District Judge James Robertson agreed to issue an order that will speed our appeal in the long-running Indian Trust lawsuit, he suggested our action is largely dictated by concerns over the $455.6 million which he says the federal...
Jodi Rave: Cobell set for appeal of $455.6M decision (09/08)
"Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the Interior Department, welcomed a federal judge's order this week granting an appeal on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Native landowners across the country. “If this opinion was fair,...
Judge certifies appeal of Cobell accounting decision (09/05)
Judge James Robertson issued a final order in Cobell v. Kempthorne on Thursday to allow an both sides of the case to appeal. The plaintiffs will challenge the amount that Robertson said they are owed -- $455.6 million -- for...
Jodi Rave: BIA finally fully connected to Internet (09/01)
"Howard Bemer didn't think he'd survive life without e-mail after a federal judge disconnected the Bureau of Indian Affairs from the Internet. “I thought it was like the end of the world,” said Bemer, now superintendent of the BIA's Fort...
Cobell headed to resolution in appeals court (08/29)
A federal judge on Thursday said he will issue a final order in the Indian trust fund case by the end of next week so the Cobell plaintiffs can pursue an appeal. Judge James Robertson agreed that resolution of the...
Judge to hold first hearing after Cobell decision (08/28)
Judge James Robertson will hold a hearing this afternoon to discuss the $455.6 million he said the Cobell plaintiffs are owed for the mismanagement of their trust funds. In his August 7 decision, Robertson envisioned some type of proceeding to...
Howard Dean slams McCain for treatment of Cobell (08/26)
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, criticized Sen. John McCain 's (R-Arizona) for his treatment of Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit. During a June 26, 2005, hearing before the Senate Indian...
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...
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