This week was full of documentaries and many wonderful presentations. The documentary we watched Wednesday 100 years: One Woman’s fight for Justice, about the Cobell vs Salazar lawsuit that started when I was just two years old. I had no idea about this case until we saw the documentary. It wasn’t and still most likely isn’t a court case that is currently discussed in the education system.
I can say that I was rather upset that it took 14 years for the case to end, and most of the tribe members never got to see the case resolved. It is distressing that so much bureaucratic effort was put in to stall the case for as long as possible by the department of the Interior. I find it equally interesting that the BIA is still under the Department of the Interior.
The case in general is rather interesting, in that for what it seems when I was more or less attention in 2016 Cobell was posthumously awarded the highest honor a civilian can be given by President Obama. This was during a string of those awards given out during the last few months of Obama’s term and even when it was given out, and I don’t remember seeing that award even being mentioned in the news because of the election.
Ian Nieland