"We have always sought a settlement of these issues and have always sat down with government officials in good faith; it's a shame and disgrace that the Secretary has never done the same. If, Secretary Norton or the White House can show us their good faith intention to settle this case, plaintiffs will continue to be and always are ready to resolve this matter," said Elouise Cobell.

The passage of the Rahall Amendment striking the offensive language is directly attributable to 281 Congressmen who voted overwhelmingly to adopt the amendment. However, plaintiffs note that but for the diligence and fortitude (and bipartisanship) of Congressmen Rahall (D - WV), Kildee (D - MI), Hayworth (R - AZ), Pallone (D - NJ), Miller (D - CA), Cunningham (R - CA), and Young (R - AK), Secretary Norton and the White House would have succeeded in further harming 500,000 individual Indian Trust beneficiaries.

For full and continuing information, please visit The Indian Trust: http://www.indiantrust.com

For additional information an other Native American legal cases, please also visit: http://www.indianz.com

Please also visit Native Web:
http://www.nativeweb.org

and the official site of the Blackfeet Nation:
http://www.blackfeetnation.com