Bush BIA Now Questioning Federal Indian Trust Relationship

[NVMojo]

2/14/2005 8:40:29 PM

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding the Cobell lawsuit against the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the U.S. Interior Department, there is a major tremor running through Native American tribal leaders.

James Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary of BIA, indicated in early December that the federal government is considering the termination of the Indian land trust liability. This is in conjunction with resolving the monetary claims of tribes with a settlement now proposed in legislation sponsored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) – the chairmen of Indian affairs committees on both sides of the Capitol.

Such a decision could potentially vitiate Indian tribes’ "sovereignty" claims, jeopardize tribes’ exemptions from certain state and federal taxes, sharply reduce revenue claim settlements due tribes, and greatly limit expansion of casino sites beyond reservation boundaries. It would, in effect, revolutionize federal Indian policies.

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http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?d510c5a3-31ff-4dce-bc8b-d43c99cb380a