Tester joins Montanans to celebrate Elouise Cobell

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester, Vice Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement after Governor Steve Bullock proclaimed today Elouise Cobell Day:

“Elouise Cobell is a guiding light who will always lead the way for Americans who seek justice and fairness. She reminds us that in this country anyone can rise up and make their voice heard. It is critical that future generations of Montanans know Elouise’s story so she can be a source of inspiration for them, just as she is for me.”

Elouise Cobell was a Blackfeet tribal member and the lead plaintiff in Cobell v. Salazar, which led to the compensation of $3.4 billion to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans for the mismanagement of Indian trust accounts.