Fire in the Belly Productions shines investigative spotlight on Multi-Billion Dollar Federal Mishandling of Individual Indian Trust Monies in Documentary Film

“Broken Promises: Indian Trust” details the Department of Interior’s debacle exposed by class action suit

 San Diego, CA: Production has begun on “Broken Promises: Indian Trust,” the first film to document the US government’s gross mishandling of revenues from the Indian Trust Fund established as a result of the Dawes Act of 1887. For over a century the federal government has been leasing allotted Indian land to oil, mining, timber and grazing interests. The movie spotlights the story behind Cobell v. Norton, the largest class action lawsuit ever filed against the federal government.

The suit encompasses approximately 500,000 Indian beneficiaries and seeks a settlement figure of $27.5 billion. According to attorney Dennis Gingold  and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), which brought the case to court in 1996 with Blackfeet tribal member and lead plaintiff, Elouise Cobell, the suit charges that “the federal government has breached its legally-mandated trust responsibility… and has consistently refused to fix an accounting system that it has admitted is fundamentally flawed ... As a result, billions of dollars belonging to individual Indians remain to this day unaccounted for.”

Filmmaker Melinda Janko first learned about the case in 2002. “I was shocked at the implications of this case and amazed at the lack of public knowledge about the story. At the same time, I was utterly inspired by the courage and determination of Elouise Cobell. I am honored to be able to bring this story to light.” At the moment, Fire in the Belly Productions seeks additional funding to complete filming in 2006. “It’s important that we tell this story,” says Janko, “ it is a critical piece of American history and I am very encouraged by the reception we have received all across the country. When Federal Judge Royce Lamberth, who has heard nine years of testimony, calls it ‘the most egregious misconduct by the federal government,’ that’s a good reason to investigate.” 

More information about supporting the film can be found at www.brokenpromisesthemovie.com. Other resources about the lawsuit and its history include www.indiantrust.com and www.narf.org

Contact: Melinda Janko   619-557-0115