Indian Trust Litigation Office

The Indian Trust Litigation Office (ITLO) was established in 2007 to satisfy the need for a team of litigation specialists dedicated to handling breach of trust claims that Indian Tribes and Tribal members file against the Department of the Interior. In these cases, Tribal plaintiffs generally allege that the Department failed to properly manage or account for monetary and non-monetary trust assets and resources or otherwise breached fiduciary duties set forth in statutes, regulations, or treaties. Breach of trust litigation involves novel legal issues and complex discovery due to the scope and nature of the Department’s trust responsibilities. As breach of trust claims can span periods in excess of 100 years, ITLO established a permanent office at the American Indian Records Repository (AIRR) in Lenexa, Kansas to accommodate its need for extensive historical research. With its robust experience in both historical and contemporary document search, collection, imaging, coding, and production, as well as records management, ITLO frequently advises other offices and bureaus regarding eDiscovery and matters involving Federal records.

Dondrae Maiden is the Director of the Indian Trust Litigation Office. The general contact for ITLO is 202-208-6392.

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