100 Years documents the David vs. Goliath story of Elouise Cobell's courageous fight for justice for hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who were cheated out of billions of dollars by the United States Government.
Over 100 years ago, the United States Government broke up numerous Indian reservations and allotted millions of acres to 300,000 individual Indians. They promised to manage their land and send lease payments for oil, gas, timber, and grazing to the Indian Trust Fund, but instead the Department of the Interior grossly mismanaged the money owed them. As the Treasurer of the Blackfeet tribe, Elouise Cobell noticed issues with the trust account and raised questions about the missing money which lead her into a 30-year fight that resulted in the largest class action suit ever filed against the federal government.
By Melinda Janko
After filing in 1996, Elouise Cobell's indomitable spirit persisted for 15 years and three Presidential administrations until she finally prevailed and made history with a $3.4 billion settlement. The film not only details her long fight but serves as a fitting tribute to a warrior unlike any other.
FEATURED IN THE FILM
President Barack Obama
Senator John McCain
Senator Tom Daschle
Senator Byron Dorgan
Tex Hall, Former President of National Congress of American Indians
Ross Swimmer, Special Trustee of the American Indian, Department of the Interior
Congressman Jay Inslee
Congressman Tom Cole
James Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior
Professor Charles Wilkinson, University of Colorado Law School
Chairman Anthony Pico, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
Federal Judge Royce C. Lamberth
|