Spilyay Tymoo, Wgr-rn Springs, Oregon
Page 3
October 26, 2 0 0 6
Trust office has answers
B y L e slie M itts
m
Spilyay Tymoo
I f you have questions about
your trust fund money, it’s in
evitable that the trust office has
the answer.
S ta ff m em bers from the
trust office with Bureau o f In
dian Affairs want to get the
message out about what they
can do for tribal members.
Charles Jackson, the fidu
ciary trust officer with the BIA
in Warm Springs, said his office
is responsible for things like the
Individual Indian Money (IIM)
accounts.
“The focus o f the trust of
fice is to represent beneficiaries,
Indians who own trust assets,”
Jackson said. “It might be land,
it might be funds, it might be
timber. Our primary focus is
to represent their interests.”
8 ;
According to Jackson, “Be
fore the establishment o f trust
offices there was never any po
sition in the Department o f the
Interior or the BIA whose pri
mary responsibility was to rep
resent the beneficiaries.”
“ O ur prim ary role is to
implement the trust reform ini
tiative o f the Department o f
the Interior in regards to the
American Indian Trust Fund
Management Reform Act o f
1994,” jackson said.
The Warm Springs BIA of
fice employs three accounting
techs who handle local accounts.
One thing that communities
need to know, he said, is that
they can have the money from
their trust funds directly depos
ited into their bank account—
something that reduces compli
cations in the transfer o f funds.
Some people may not even
know they have funds available.
According to Jackson, there can
be money in accounts for Indi
ans who can’t be located.
To find out if you or some
one you know is on the
Whereabout Unknown List, you
can check with the trust office
or visit www.doi.gov/ost and
click on “locating IIM account
holders.”
One thing that many people
don’t take enough advantage of,
according to staff, is the toll-free
trust beneficiary call center.
Recently the call center was
developed to answer questions
from American Indians specifi
cally regarding trust funds. Since
opening in 2004, the center has
responded to more than 125,000
calls.The call center is available by
calling (888) 678-6836.
New law changes tribal probate
Keeyana Yellowman (above) and Vivian
Yazzie (left) focus as they color at the
Community Center on Oct. 16.
The “Color with a Color Party” celebrated
Arts and Crafts Coordinator Carol Allison’s
redecorated room-now complete with four
play areas and a new butterfly mural.
The event entertained kids with games and
a coloring contest.
Next the Community Center staff will
prepare for Halloween activités, including a
pumpkin carving contest, costume
contests and a Halloween carnival.
Leslie Mitts photos
D
Probate cases without a writ
ten will are handled in a differ
ent way after a policy change
took effect June 20 with the Bu
reau o f Indian Affairs. The
American Indian Probate Re
form Act o f 2004 replaces the
Indian probate laws o f 2001.
The act was originally signed
into law on Oct. 27, 2004, and
changes the way that Indian
land and property is inherited.
According to Charles Jack-
son, fiduciary trust officer for
the BIA in Warm Springs, the
change involves a new set o f
laws that apply to people who
die without a written will.
Before, he explained, their
estate was handled according to
state laws.
With this new act, their es
tates will be handled with the
new set o f laws if they die after
June 20, 2006.
The act affects ownership
rights in trust or restricted land
(unless the land is located in
Alaska) and changes the way
trust estates are distributed to
heirs after a person’s death.
The new changes are nation
wide and also provide opportu
nities for tribal members or the
tribe to purchase interest in trust
or restricted land at probate.
Probate is a legal process that
determines the heirs and ben
eficiaries o f the deceased per
son.
In general, the new law pro
tects the rights o f property own
ers by allowing them to transfer
property through a will at the
time o f their death. I f a will is
not written, trust property will
fall under the new probate code.
The laws state that after a
person’s death, and without the
presence o f a written will, fed
eral and approved tribal probate
codes will determine who are the
eligible heirs.
Jackson said the B IA will
conduct a series o f meetings to
introduce the new policies to the
community. For more informa
tion about these changes, call 1-
888-678-6836, extension 888.
By Leslie M itts
c t ig m
as, m u still cfw!
( Otene/s
hatte taken hack
managing the steve.
W
for
•Shaw Flooring • Manufactured Stone
W indows • Flooring • Cabinets • Tile/Vinyl
Counter Tops • Area Rugs • Fire Places
Special
Builder
• Siding • Vinyl Fencing
Orders
Discounts
Welcome!
• Molding • Light Fixtures
^/liinch
with our guests,
exceeding their expectations!!
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday by appointment only.
1825 S.W. Hwy 97, Madras • South of Miller Ford • 475-1107
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
&
I
a £ £
m
(
Speak»
I ALL IN S T O C K
I
I y ^ N Y L
I
I
I
$ 1 1 .«
I
R e g . $ 1 4 .9 9 s q .y d .
I
I
“L e t us
I
Is
^ € M
13”x 1 3 ”
CERAMIC FLOOR TILE
Color
# 200
Nation
prem ier
^teubbouse S r %$*loon
T € R
CARPET
100% N y lo n by Q u e e n s
1543 S.W. Hwy 97, Madras
Next to Sonny's
~
~
71100 Wheat, 71702 Suede
^ P 99
$
39
s f 1 ■ sci-yd
R e g . $ 1 .9 9 s q .y d .
p in n er
It all starts and ends
X et ns take cate efc aU you? design
I
O p e »
$
m
ia fa care o f y o u r desiyn needs!"
sq-yd
(541) 475-6025