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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. 5th 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. 5th St., Rapid City, S.D.

CONTACT: Nedra Darling 202-219-4152