Bureau of Indian Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                            CONTACT: Nedra Darling

January 4, 2002                                                                                                    202-219-4152

MEDIA ADVISORY

Fourth Consultation Meeting On

Improving Indian Trust Asset Management

Set for January 10 in Rapid City

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb and Deputy Assistant Secretary Wayne Smith will meet with tribal leaders on Thursday, January 10, 2002 in Rapid City, S.D., at the fourth in a series of consultation meetings on the Department’s plan to improve the management of Indian trust assets.  The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza (505 N. 5^th St.) starting at 9:00 a.m. (MST).

On November 15, 2001, the Department announced plans to transfer and consolidate Indian trust asset management functions currently administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other Interior agencies within a new Bureau of Indian Trust Assets Management.  The Department also announced the establishment of an Assistant Secretary for Indian Trust Assets Management to oversee BITAM and a new Office of Indian Trust Transition to implement the transfer and consolidation plans. 

Consultation meetings have already taken place in Albuquerque, Minneapolis and Oklahoma City.  Additional meetings will be held in San Diego, Calif., on January 17; Anchorage, Alaska, on January 23 and in Washington, D.C (Arlington, Va.) on February 1.  A notice with meeting dates and locations was published in the December 11 Federal Register.

WHO:                  Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb and

                  Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Wayne Smith.

WHEN:                  9:00 a.m. (MST), Thursday, January 10, 2002.

WHAT:                  Interior Department tribal consultation meeting on improving the management of

                  Indian trust assets.

WHERE:  Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza, 505 N. 5^th St., Rapid City, S.D.

-BIA-