[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 251 (Monday, December 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 68772]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33132]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs


National Tribal Consultation

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of tribal consultation meeting--tribal trust account 
holders and allottees.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 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 and 
written comments regarding the options presented in the ``Proposed 
Legislative Options in Response to Tribal Trust Fund Reconciliation 
Project Results'' (Options Paper), delivered to the U.S. Congress and 
mailed to 554 tribal governments, as well as tribal account holders on 
December 11, 1996. The options were developed by the Department of the 
Interior as a preliminary proposal for settling disputed balances in 
the Tribal trust fund accounts based on the result of a five-year 
reconciliation project.
    The report contains the settlement proposals of the Advisory Board 
as an attachment. The Options Paper was submitted to Congress in 
accordance with Section 304 of the American Indian Trust Fund 
Management Reform Act of 1994 (the Act).

DATES: Four consultation sessions will be conducted:
    January 6, 1997, Portland, OR, Red Lion--Lloyd Center 1000 N.E. 
Multnomah, Portland, OR, 97232, 800-733-5466, or 503-281-6111. The 
session will begin at 9:30 am and adjourn at 5:00 pm.
    January 8, 1997, Denver, CO, The Renaissance Hotel, 3801 Quebec 
St., Denver, CO, 80207, 303-399-7500. The session will begin at 8:30 am 
and adjourn at 5:00 pm.
    January 10, 1997, Phoenix, AZ, Hyatt Regency, 122 North Second 
Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, 602-257-1110, 800-228-9000. The session 
will begin at 8:30 am and adjourn at 5:00 pm.
    January 24, 1997, Washington, DC, Grand Hyatt Washington at 
Washington Center, Washington, DC, 202-582-1234. The session will begin 
at 1:00 pm and adjourn at 5:00 pm.
    Public attendance may be limited to the space available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Chapman, Special Assistant, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC, 20240, 202-208-5116, FAX 202-208-5320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these consultation meetings 
is to provide Indian Tribal trust account holders and allottees an 
opportunity for participation in the development of final options for 
the U.S. Congress to resolve Tribal trust fund claims. The objectives 
of the consultation meeting are:
     Achieve a settlement that is fair.
     Achieve the most resource-efficient settlement of claims 
(in terms of conserving federal government and Tribal time, money, and 
staff, including attorneys' and expert witness fees).
     Encourage settlement by providing incentives to settle and 
by providing disincentives to litigation.
     Use the most informal settlement processes available 
rather than litigation to encourage Tribal participation.
     Obtain funding for the settlement without reducing 
appropriations for the BIA budget and Tribal programs.
     Achieve final agreement on account balances through 
September 30, 1995, as required by the Act.
    The Options Paper presented to Congress incorporates many of the 
settlement recommendations of the Special Trustee's Advisory Board, 
which was created by Section 306 of the Act. The Advisory Board's 
settlement proposals were submitted to the Secretary on September 24, 
1996, and were the result of a series of consultations between the 
Special trustee, his Advisory Board and several Tribes. As requested by 
the Special Trustee, the Advisory Board's recommendations were appended 
to the Options Paper. The Options Paper describes where there was 
agreement or disagreement with the Advisory Board's recommendations.
    All oral and written comments presented by Tribes and individuals 
at these consultation meetings will be recorded, transcribed and taken 
into consideration by the agency.
    Summaries of the meetings will be available for public inspection 
and copying ten days following the meeting.
    Written comments must be submitted on or before February 12, 1997 
to: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public 
Information Office, Attn: Ralph Gonzales, Room 4546, M.S. MIB-4542, 
1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.

    Dated: December 23, 1996.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-33132 Filed 12-27-96; 8:45 am]
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