IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                          FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA


ELOUISE PEPION COBELL, eta!.,        )
                                     )    No. 1:96CV01285
                P!aintiffs,          )    (Judge Lamberth)
      v.                             )
                                     )
GALE NORTON, et a!.,                 )
                                     )
                Defendants.          )
___________________________________________________________________________)


                          DEFENDANTS' STATUS REPORT
             ON PAYMENT OF INTERIM AWARD PURSUANT TO
                       THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT

     Defendants wish to inform the Court that on January 18, 2006, the Department of the

Interior and the Department of the Treasury e!ectronica!!y transferred a tota! payment of

$7,066,471.05 to P!aintiffs, using the account information that was provided to Defendants by

counse! for P!aintiffs. Attachment 1. This payment was made to comp!y with the Court's

December 19, 2005 opinion and order that required prompt payment of the interim award

pursuant to the Equa! Access to Justice Act.


Dated: January 19, 2006         Respectfu!!y submitted,

                                ROBERT McCALLUM, JR.
                                Associate Attorney Genera!
                                PETER D. KEISLER
                                Assistant Attorney Genera!
                                STUART E. SCHIFFER
                                Deputy Assistant Attorney Genera!
                                J. CHRISTOPHER KOHN
                                Dire ctor


/s/ Robert E. Kirschman, Jr.
ROBERT E. KIRSCHMAN, JR.
(D.C. Bar No. 406635)
Assistant Director
Commercial Litigation Branch
Civil Division
P.O. Box 875
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, D.C. 20044-0875
Telephone: (202) 616-0328
Facsimile: (202) 514-7162


   Page 2 of 2


                      CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

     I hereby certif!y that, on January 19, 2006 the foregoing Defendants 'Status Report
On Payment oflnterim Award Pursuant toT/ic EqualAccess to Justice Act was served by
Electronic Case Filing, and on the following who is not registered for Electronic Case Filing, by
facsimile:


                         Earl Old Person (Pro se)
                         Blackfeet Tribe
                         P.O. Box 850
                         Browning, MT 59417
                         Fax (406) 338-7530


                                   /s/ Kevin P. Kingston
                                   Kevin P. Kingston


                                            United States Departmcnt of Justice
                                            Civil Division
                                            Commercial Litigation Rranch

Robert E. Kirschman, Jr.
Assistant Director

P.O. Box 875, Hen Franidin Station
Washington. D.C. 20044 0875

          Tel: (202t 616-0325
          f-ax. !202i 3(17-11494
Email: Robert.Kirschman!usdoj.gov

BY FACSIMILE

January 18. 2006

Dennis M. Gingold, Esq.
Box No. 6
607 14th Street. NW.
Washington, DC 20005

     Re: Cobell v. Norton

Dear Mr. Gingold:

  I have been informed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury
that they have today electronically transferred a total payment o187.066.47 1.05 to thc IIM Trust
Correction & Recovery Project, using the account inlbrrnation that you provided us.

  This payment was made to comply with the district court's December 19, 2005 opinion and
order that required prompt payment of the interim award pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice
Act, Defendants do not, however, acquiesce iii the findings within the December 19 opinion,
including, but not necessarily limited to. the court's finding ofbad faith. Therefore, this
payment should not be viewed in any way as a waiver of defendants' right to appeal the opinion
and order, in whole or in part. in the future.

  At your earliest convenience, please confirm for mc that this transfer successfully took place.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.


                                Very truly yours,

(2z!'i

Robert E. Kirsehnian, Jr.