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Throughout my filmmaking career, I have always been attracted to stories about the triumph of the human spirit, and people overcoming great odds. So when I went looking for a story in March 2002, I looked for one that would inspire, make a difference, and maybe even change the way we see the world. What I found was an article in Mother Jones magazine about a people, a government and a betrayal of trust. It is a story that has its roots in the 19th century but still continues today. This little known story has evolved into "100 Years".



During my research and investigation, I was shocked to find that most Americans did not know about Cobell v., the largest class action lawsuit ever brought against the federal government. How can billions of dollars belonging to some of the most impoverished people in America be unaccounted for and not be front-page news? It troubled me that mainstream media always focused on Indian wealth through gaming. Unfortunately the facts about casinos and the nouveau riche American Indians are distorted, and ignore the truth---- one in three live in poverty. Among them, Mad Dog Kennerly, a Blackfeet Indian who makes beaded necklaces to supplement his $89 monthly oil payments; Mary Johnson, an 93-year old Navajo woman who has never been able to afford running water despite the five oil wells on her land; and Ruby Withrow, a Potawatomi Indian, who searched for years for answers to why her grandfather died penniless despite the oil wells that pumped 24/7 on his land. They are the invisible Indians that most Americans never see. And that is why I decided to tell this story. For if the standards of fiscal responsibility are compromised for one group of people, how safe are the rest of us? And as Judge Royce C. Lamberth said, "Justice delayed, is justice denied."





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If this type of egregious action had been inflicted on any other ethnic group, there would have been a tremendous public outcry.”

Senator John McCain (R) Arizona



“The United States government made a commitment, through solemn treaty obligations when it divided Indian lands in 1887, to hold those lands in trust, to manage them wisely, and to give any income from the sale or lease of the land to its Indians owners. Our government has never fulfilled that promise.”

Former Senator Tom Daschle (D) South Dakota



“After a century of mismanaging Indian assets, it’s time for our nation to keep our promises.”

Senator Maria Cantwell (D) Washington



“The Department’s handling of the Individual Indian Money trust has served as the gold standard for mismanagement by the federal government for more than a century.”

Federal Judge Royce C. Lamberth



“The Interior Department has been the Enron of federal agencies when it comes to managing Indian trust assets.”

Representative Nick J. Rahall II, (D) West Virginia



“The way these trust fund holders have been treated….is a national disgrace. If 40,000 people were cut off Social Security, there would be an uproar in Congress.”

Representative Tom Udall (D) New Mexico





