BROWNING, Mont., Aug. 7 -- Elouise Cobell, lead plaintiff in the
class-action lawsuit over the government's mismanagement of the Individual Indian Trust, today expressed "disappointment" over the ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robertson. Here is her statement:

"I have asked our lawyers to carefully review this opinion as we consider whether to appeal the ruling."

"I know I speak for everyone in Indian Country when I say that it is
difficult to reconcile the Court's ruling with beneficiaries'
experiences with the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust. I am
disappointed, to say the least.

"We believe we presented a strong, compelling case that individual Indian
trust beneficiaries are entitled to much more than the government's admitted mismanagement of our trust monies over the past 120 years."

To view the latest information concerning this case, go to www.indiantrust.com