[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4466-4467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2094]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


National Tribal Consultation; Meeting

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Tribal Consultation Meeting--Tribal Trust Account 
Holders and Allottees.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of the Secretary will 
conduct four (4) consultation meetings with any Indian tribe, band, 
nation, allottee group, individual allottee, other organized group or 
community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village 
corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native 
Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688), which is recognized as eligible 
for the trust programs and services provided by the United States to 
Indians because of their status as Indians.
    The purpose of these consultation meetings is to obtain oral 
comments regarding the Recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior 
for Settlement of Disputed Tribal Trust Fund Accounts, which were 
delivered to the U.S. Congress on November 13, 1997. The 
Recommendations of the Department were based on comments received in a 
prior consultation process in January 1997, on legislative options for 
settling tribal trust fund claims. The Recommendations developed by the 
Department of the Interior consist of a report and legislative 
proposals aimed at settling more than two decades of disputed balances 
in Tribal Trust Fund accounts.
    The Administration is pursuing a three-pronged strategy to address 
issues related to the Department of the Interior's administration and 
management of Indian trust funds. First, it is proposing this 
legislative approach that utilizes informal dispute resolution 
mechanisms to address claims that tribes may have with regard to the 
Department's past management of tribal trust fund accounts. Second, in 
conjunction with the special Trustee for American Indians, the 
Department has developed recommendations for improving the underlying 
trust management and accounting systems. Third, the Department has 
proposed legislation to end the increasing fractionation of ownership 
of Indian allotted lands.
    The consultation meetings will be held to receive tribal comments 
on the first part of this strategy--the Secretary's Recommendations for 
settlement of disputed tribal trust funds accounts. Tribes may attend 
any of the consultation sessions.

DATES (1998): Four consultation sessions will be conducted:

February 9, 1998, Portland, OR, Airport Sheraton Hotel, 8235 NE Airport 
Way, Portland OR, 503-281-2500.
February 10, 1998, Albuquerque, NM, Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque, 2600 
Louisiana Blvd., NE., Albuquerque, NM, 505-881-0000.
February 11, 1998, Oklahoma City, OK, Radisson Inn Hotel, West 
Interstate 40 & Meridian Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, 405-947-7681.
February 12, 1998, Minneapolis, MN, Minneapolis/St Paul Hilton, 3800 
East 80th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 612-854-2100 or 800-637-7453.

    All sessions will begin at 9 AM and continue until completed, 
except the Albuquerque, NM meeting which will begin at 8 AM. Public 
attendance may be limited to the space available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20240, 202-208-5116, FAX 202-208-6334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these consultation meetings 
is to provide Indian Tribal trust account holders and Allottees an 
opportunity to provide comments regarding the ``Recommendations of the 
Secretary of the Interior for Settlement of Disputed Tribal Trust Fund 
Accounts.'' The objectives of the Recommendations are:

[[Page 4467]]

    <bullet> Acknowledge and respect tribal sovereignty.
    <bullet> Achieve a settlement that is fair to both the Indian 
community and the general public.
    <bullet> Achieve the most resource-efficient settlement of claims 
(in terms of conserving federal government and tribal time, money, and 
staff).
    <bullet> Encourage settlement by providing incentives to settle and 
disincentives to litigate.
    <bullet> Use the most informal settlement processes available 
rather than litigation to encourage tribal participation.
    <bullet> Obtain funding for the settlement without reducing 
appropriations for the BIA and Special Trustee budgets and tribal 
programs.
    <bullet> Achieve agreement on account balances through September 
30, 1992, or the date of settlement, as an agreed-upon starting point 
for the future.
    The Department's Recommendations build on the legislative options 
for settlement that the Department submitted to Congress on December 
11, 1996, and that we sent to you at the same time. After submitting 
the options to Congress, the Department consulted with and provided an 
opportunity for written comments from tribal representatives throughout 
the country about the approaches we were considering. A copy of the 
Report on the Recommendations of the Department was distributed to all 
Tribal Leaders on November 13, 1997.
    All oral comments presented by tribes and individuals at these 
consultation meetings will be recorded and transcribed.
    Summaries of the meetings will be available for public inspection 
and copying ten days following the meeting.

    Dated: January 23, 1998.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-2094 Filed 1-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-U