But they say U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth overstepped his authority with rulings ordering a full accounting of the money and appointing himself overseer of reform efforts. He also has held two Cabinet secretaries in contempt. Arguments are scheduled for today before a three-judge federal appellate court panel.
Emotions are high on both sides.
The trust accounts came from an 1887 federal law that divided some reservation land into smaller plots for individual Indians. Many of the tracts are leased for uses such as grazing, logging, mining or oil drilling. Proceeds from those leases are supposed to be deposited in government accounts and then paid to the Indian landholders. All rights reserved.