Department of the Interior • Of

TRUST 

fi ce of Special Trustee for American Indians 

MATTERS

Volume 14/Issue 2 Spring 2014

Th e Department of the Interior’s initiative to implement an enterprise 

solution that manages the entire lifecycle of records in the cloud, the 

eMail Enterprise Records and Document Management System 

(eERDMS), was a fi nalist in the Excellence in Intergovernmental 

Collaboration category of the 14th Annual Excellence.gov Awards. 

eERDMS was one of fi ve fi nalists in the intergovernmental collaboration 

category, which is one of six Excellence.gov award categories.

Mary Beth Roberts, a Records Management Specialist from the Offi ce of 

the Special Trustee for American Indians’ (OST) Offi ce of Trust Records 

(OTR), is a member of the Department’s eERDMS team. 

Karen Foster, Director of OTR, is OST’s point of 

contact with eERDMS. 

A panel of over 40 judges representing government 

and industry participated in a three-stage process 

for the selection of fi nalists and winners recognized at the 2014 award ceremony. A total of 31 

fi nalists from 17 federal, state, and local government agencies, including Interior, were honored 

at the awards reception in Washington, D.C., on 

March 24, 2014.

eERDMS is the Department’s new digital platform that captures and 

auto-classifi es records and documents. It has the capability of managing 

email, desktop and shared drive fi les, mobile electronic fi les, and other 

business applications. It can also migrate existing document management 

systems into the new platform. OST is participating in the testing and 

installation of key components of the system. For additional information 

about eERDMS, contact Karen Foster at 505-816-1065 or karen_foster@

ost.doi.gov.

Th e Excellence.gov Awards honor the best government information 

technology programs that demonstrate proven strategies and solutions. 

Th e awards recognize government programs for real world experiences 

that enhance mission eff ectiveness through the effi cient application of 

information technology. 

Excellence.gov Awards 2014 Finalist: 

Excellence in Intergovernmental Collaboration

www.doi.gov/ost

OST Employee

Survey Results

Employees with the Offi ce of 

the Special Trustee for American 

Indians (OST) who took part 

in the 2013 Federal Employee 

Viewpoint Survey provided 

responses that showed 

dramatic improvements. Two 

key responses were signifi cantly 

higher than responses from 

other Department of the Interior 

offi ces and government-wide 

employee averages:

OST employees’ overall job 

satisfaction was 12 points 

higher and overall satisfaction 

with the organization was 

11 points higher!

Table of Contents

Excellence.gov Awards 

2014 Finalist

OST Employee Survey

Land Buy-Back Program 

Launches PSAs

Trust Wills Project: 

Landowners’ Wishes Prevail

Exceptional Accountability

1

1

2

3

4
2 TRUST MATTERS

Land Buy-Back Program Launches Public Service Announcements with Tribal Leaders

Th e Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Program) has announced the launch of several new Public 

Service Announcements (PSAs) as part of the continuing eff ort to inform Indian landowners about the 

opportunity to consolidate fractionated interests 

into tribal trust ownership. 

Broadcast PSAs feature 

Assistant Secretary – Indian Aff airs and member 

of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma Kevin Washburn; 

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Bryan V. Brewer; and 

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Councilman 

Lloyd Irvine. Th e PSAs are available for download at 

www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/tribes/outreach-materials.cfm.

Th e Program implements the land consolidation 

component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided 

$1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust 

or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market 

value. Individuals who choose to sell their interests will 

receive payments directly into their Individual Indian 

Money accounts. Consolidated interests are then 

restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefi ting the 

reservation community and tribal members. 

Across Indian Country, more than 245,000 individual 

Indian landowners have nearly three million fractionated interests on 150 reservations. Th ey are eligible to 

participate in the Program under the Cobell Settlement. 

Not all landowners currently live on reservations. For 

example, the Program recently announced that purchase 

off ers have been sent to over 16,000 individual landowners — located in 50 states as 

well as overseas — with fractionated interests in parcels on the Pine Ridge Reservation 

in South Dakota. Th ese purchase off ers are 

time sensitive (valid for 45 calendar days).

Th e Program has undertaken a vigorous 

national public education and outreach 

eff ort. Th e Program believes it is critical 

to exhaust all eff orts to reach individual 

landowners and communicate the 

importance of reducing fractionation 

and the advantages of selling their land.

Program personnel have been working in concert with tribes and tribal 

organizations to conduct outreach at 

pow-wows, community meetings, 

and large Indian organizational 

gatherings to make sure that landowners know the 

facts about the unique opportunity before them. In 

addition, as the Program is implemented for particular 

reservations, personnel are working cooperatively with 

tribal governments to answer landowner questions, 

locate individuals whose whereabouts are currently 

unknown, notarize documents, and hold outreach 

events to ensure that landowners have the resources 

and support needed to understand their options and 

make timely decisions about their fractionated land 

interests.

As this outreach continues, PSAs launched nationwide 

will help raise awareness among landowners, some of 

whom may have already received purchase off ers. 

Landowners can contact their local Fiduciary Trust 

Offi cer or call the Trust Benefi ciary Call Center, toll 

free, at 888-678-6836 with questions and to register 

as interested sellers. More information is available at 

www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners. 

pp y

into tribal trust ownership. 

Broadcast PSAs feature 

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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 2 3

J

ohn Roach, Fiduciary Trust Offi cer (FTO) for the Offi ce 

of the Special Trustee for American Indians’ Southern Ute 

Agency, knew that the desires of many tribal members were 

contrary to the truncated heir designations in the American 

Indian Probate Reform Act (Act). Th e Act stipulates that if a 

landowner dies intestate (without a valid will), land interests of 

less than fi ve percent are inherited fi rst by the oldest child, then 

the oldest grandchild, then the oldest great-grandchild, and then 

the tribe. Roach also knew that a will would overrule this line of 

succession contained in the Act.

Tribal members were encouraged to make wills. However, there 

are few law fi rms in the area to write wills. 

Bottom line — help was needed to make sure landowners had 

wills that made their wishes prevail. FTO Roach wrote letters to 

schools throughout the region. Lucy Marsh, a professor with 

the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, responded and 

developed the Trust Wills Project to off er students an opportunity 

to perform a public service during their spring break. Students 

at the University of Denver must complete 50 hours of public 

service before they graduate. 

First off ered in 2013, the Project had 12 student participants who 

prepared wills for members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain 

tribes in Colorado. Th ey wrote 70 wills under the supervision of 

Professor Marsh. Th e students had a great sense of accomplishments by being able to complete the wills from start to fi nish.

Th e Project was expanded in 2014 when 22 students volunteered. 

Th e students spent three days preparing wills for members of the 

Southern Ute Tribe and three more days doing the same at the 

Ute Mountain Reservation. 

Th ere was one additional eff ort in 2014. Five students traveled 

to a portion of the Ute Mountain Reservation that is in Utah. 

In order to serve this population, Professor Marsh sought and 

was granted admission to the Utah Bar Association so she could 

supervise the wills prepared in that state.

Th e success of this project, for everyone involved, is summed up 

by this quote from one of the students, Laurinda Frederick, “Th e 

Tribal Wills Project was a rare and rewarding opportunity to help 

tribe members create incredibly important documents for them 

and their families. I am glad I had the opportunity to participate.”

“It felt good to feel like you were 

actually making a difference in 

helping others obtain the freedom 

to have their last wishes both

heard and be upheld.”

“Even though we provided wills for

members of the Southern Ute and Ute 

Mountain Ute tribes, the members

helped us more by taking time out of

their day so we could get invaluable

experience such as client interaction

and wills drafting.”

“Each client that I met enjoyed 

detailing their life story through

his or her family connections 

and property rights. In doing so

we were able to build a relationship, 

[and] discuss the best interest of

each individual in the allocation 

of their property.”

“This was my first time on the trip 

and it truly affirmed why I came

to law school; to serve and

to make a difference

in the life of just one person.”

“The Tribal Wills Project was a 

meaningful opportunity. Not only did

it give me the opportunity to learn

about federal Indian and probate law, 

but more importantly, I was able to 

learn about and experience a unique 

culture in our country.”

Angela Hopkins

Amber Marchlowska

Heidi Ruckriegle

Aubrey Bertram

Tammy Tallant
4 TRUST MATTERS

Exceptional Accountability

Trust Services (TS), part of the Offi ce of the Special 

Trustee for American Indians (OST), collaborates with 

internal and external stakeholders to eff ectively and 

effi ciently process receipts, disbursements, and probate 

packages, and reconcile and report on fi nancial data of 

the Indian trust. TS’ Offi ce of Trust Funds Management 

was reported on in the 2014 winter issue. In this issue, 

TS’ Offi ce of Trust Reporting and Reconciliation is 

highlighted.

Trust Services’ Offi ce of Trust Reporting and Reconciliation verifi es on a daily basis the transactions being 

processed through the Trust Funds Accounting System 

(TFAS). Th e Offi ce also does a daily cash reconciliation 

with the U.S. Department of Treasury to ensure that all 

deposits and withdrawals through Treasury are reported 

properly in TFAS. Th e Offi ce reconciles over nine 

million fi nancial transactions annually. While other 

government organizations reconcile weekly or even 

monthly, it is this daily scrutiny that makes the Offi ce 

of Trust Reporting and Reconciliation highly eff ective 

at safeguarding Indian trust funds. 

OST started producing annual fi nancial statements 

through a private fi rm in 1996 but TS soon realized 

that the procedure lacked the rigor required for the 

accounting of all trust funds. In 1999, TS developed 

the fi rst process that would be accurate to the penny. 

Th is continues to be the standard of excellence for the 

team of ten TS accountants, according to Director of 

Trust Operations Robert Winter.

In addition to the daily reconciliation of all trust 

transactions, the Offi ce reconciles all fi nancial assets 

being held by OST’s trust custodian, SEI Private Trust 

Company. Th e custodian safeguards today’s bonds and 

securities that are issued electronically, rather than on 

paper. Each month the Offi ce ensures accountability 

of those assets being held by the custodian and the 

income received from them. Th ink of it as a safe for 

Indian trust fi nancial assets. 

Besides these and other reconciliation functions, the 

Offi ce also handles reporting requirements. Th ere is 

regulatory reporting to other federal entities such as 

Treasury, the Offi ce of Management and Budget, and 

within the Department of the Interior. Reporting 

frequency varies — monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, 

and annual. Financial statement reporting is a monthly 

process that rolls into the annual independent trust 

audit, currently conducted by KPMG LLP. Th e results 

of the annual audit are a public testament of OST’s 

accountability. As a part of the annual audit, internal 

controls are also reviewed to be sure they are functioning properly. Managerial reporting, like suspense 

accounts and overdraft reports, is done monthly to 

help OST managers maintain a standard of excellence. 

Th ere is also annual tax reporting. Th e Offi ce sends 

1099 forms to individuals and the Internal Revenue 

Service. Some tribes request special reporting services, 

and there is other ad hoc reporting completed on an as 

needed basis.

Th e 11 people who work for the Offi ce of Trust Reporting and Reconciliation are all trained accountants, with 

the exception of the secretary. Th e goal of the 

Offi ce is to accurately and timely reconcile all trust 

funds to ensure accuracy of the information in the 

trust system, and to accurately and timely report trust 

funds’ fi nancial data to meet accountability requirements. 

Th e people who work in the Offi ce have helped OST 

achieve an exceptional level of accountability. Th eir 

operation is continually evolving to implement new 

processes to improve accountability. As noted by 

Deputy Special Trustee – Trust Services Doug Lords, 

they do an “outstanding job because they are deeply 

committed to the importance of the work they 

perform.”

Did you know? Of 242,886 copies of 

documents sent in response to FY2013 

research requests, over 97 percent 

(237,295 copies) were sent electronically.