Because the federal government has so much control over the resources of Indian nations and individual Indians, the trust doctrine is implied in dealings even if not implicitly stated. Trust responsibility affect everything the federal government is involved in, from education and health care to trust lands and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In his term in office, President Bill Clinton acknowledged the broad trust responsibility of the federal government. Trust responsibility has come under challenge by Congress as budget cuts have reduced services guaranteed to tribes through treaties. Public attention has focused on a small number of tribes that have been visibly successful through casino gambling.
Public perception tends to lump all tribes into that same category.
Clearly there is a need for more public awareness of the legal and political framework that has shaped federal-tribal relations. Many Indians have been reexamining trust responsibility too, and finding that the federal government has not lived up to its principles. In just one example, the Bureau of Indian Affairs mismanagement and complete lack of accounting of funds has resulted in the disappearance of billions of dollars of Indian money. All rights reserved. 749 Simpson Street, St.