US v Sioux Nation funds

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=DOI-BIA-2023-002453&type=Request)

* Tracking Number: DOI-BIA-2023-002453
* Requester Name:
Cully Williams
* Date Submitted: 02/08/2023
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

I'm looking for any documents that pertain to the management of the award money from United States v Sioux Nation of Indians.

Just about one year ago, I submitted this request via DOI-ASIA-2022-001908 and that request was incorrectly closed. While I hold that the former request was denied incorrectly and I still have standing for litigation, I would like to provide BIA the opportunity to handle my request without further escalation.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Cully Williams

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

The FOIA request DOI-ASIA-2023-002453 has had its Tracking Number changed to DOI-BIA-2023-002453. This is normally due to the request being transferred to another agency (for example, EPA to Dept. of Commerce) or to a sub-agency to process it. Additional details for this request are as follows:

* Old Tracking Number:
DOI-ASIA-2023-002453
* New Tracking Number:
DOI-BIA-2023-002453
* Requester Name:
Cully Williams
* Date Submitted:
02/08/2023
* Long Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

I'm looking for any documents that pertain to the management of the award money from United States v Sioux Nation of Indians.

Just about one year ago, I submitted this request via DOI-ASIA-2022-001908 and that request was incorrectly closed. While I hold that the former request was denied incorrectly and I still have standing for litigation, I would like to provide BIA the opportunity to handle my request without further escalation.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Cully Williams

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

Dear Cully Williams:

The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs (AS-IA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office received your FOIA request, dated February 8, 2023, and assigned it control number DOI-ASIA-2023-002453. Please cite this number in any future communications with our office regarding your request.

You requested the following: Any documents that pertain to the management of the award money from United States v Sioux Nation of Indians.

We have classified you as an "other-use" requester. As such, we may charge you for some of our search and duplication costs, but we will not charge you for our review costs; you are also entitled to up to 2 hours of search time and 100 pages of photocopies (or an equivalent volume) for free. See 43 C.F.R. § 2.39. If, after taking into consideration your fee category entitlements, our processing costs are less than $50.00, we will not bill you because the cost of collection would be greater than the fee collected. See 43 C.F.R. § 2.37(g).

We use Multitrack Processing to process FOIA requests. The Simple track is for requests that would generally take one to five workdays to process. The Normal track is for requests that would generally take six to twenty workdays to process. The Complex track is for requests that would generally take twenty-one to sixty workdays to process. The Extraordinary track is for requests that would generally take more than sixty workdays to process. The Expedited track is for requests that have been granted expedited processing, which are processed as soon as practicable. Within each track, requests are usually processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Your request falls into the Normal processing track.
We are writing to respond to your request. After a thorough search of our files, it has been determined that the AS-IA has no records responsive to your request.
Eleanor "Dee" Mcvey, Government Information Specialist (FOIA), is responsible for this denial.
We do not bill requesters for FOIA processing fees when their fees are less than $50.00, because the cost of collection would be greater than the fee collected. See 43 CFR § 2.37(g). Therefore, there is no billable fee for the processing of this request.

Contact information for the Department's FOIA Public Liaison, who you may seek dispute resolution services from, is available at https://www.doi.gov/foia/foiacenters.
Also, the 2007 FOIA amendments created the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) to offer mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. Using OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue litigation. You may contact OGIS in any of the following ways:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road - OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
E-mail: ogis@nara.gov<mailto:ogis@nara.gov>
Web: https://ogis.archives.gov
Telephone: (202) 741-5770
Fax: (202) 741-5769
Toll-free: 1 (877) 684-6448
Please note that using OGIS services does not affect the timing of filing an appeal with the Department's FOIA & Privacy Act Appeals Officer.
You may appeal this response to the Department's FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer. If you choose to appeal, the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer must receive your FOIA appeal no later than 90 workdays from the date of this final response. Appeals arriving or delivered after 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, will be deemed received on the next workday.
Your appeal must be made in writing. You may submit your appeal and accompanying materials to the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer by mail, courier service, fax, or email. All communications concerning your appeal should be clearly marked with the words: "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPEAL." You must include an explanation of why you believe this response is in error. You must also include with your appeal copies of all correspondence between you and the AS-IA concerning your FOIA request, including your original FOIA request and this response. Failure to include with your appeal all correspondence between you and the AS-IA will result in the Department's rejection of your appeal, unless the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer determines (in the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer's sole discretion) that good cause exists to accept the defective appeal.
Please include your name and daytime telephone number (or the name and telephone number of an appropriate contact), email address and fax number (if available) in case the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer needs additional information or clarification of your appeal.
DOI FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office Contact Information
Department of the Interior
Office of the Solicitor
1849 C Street, N.W.
MS-6556 MIB
Washington, DC 20240

Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office

Telephone: (202) 208-5339
Fax: (202) 208-6677
Email: FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov<mailto:FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov>

For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. 552(c)<http://www.justice.gov/oip/amended-foia-redlined.pdf>. This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
This letter completes our response to your request. If you have any questions, you may contact Heather Garcia by phone at 202-208-3135, by email at as-ia_foia@bia.gov<mailto:as-ia_foia@bia.gov> or by mail at 1849 C Street, N.W., MS-4660-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240.

Sincerely,
/s/ Eleanor "Dee" Mcvey
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs