The money comes from timber sales on the Hoopa Valley Reservation, which was cut into two in 1988. Some of that money was distributed to the tribe and its members at the time.

The Yuroks believe all the rest of the money should go to their tribe, since most of its reservation along the Klamath River is owned by private landowners. The money has been held in trust, since the Yuroks didn't have a government in place in 1988.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe has questioned what it sees as a delay by the federal government in dealing with the fund, alleging mismanagement of money the tribe wants to see split between it and the Yurok Tribe.

Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, have questioned the federal Interior Department on details of the dispute, including how it could be settled. Nobody wants to hold official hearings until after that response is issued.

Apparently, the Interior report was first promised by March, with a deadline later moved to July. It's now the end of July, and the report is yet to be seen.

It appears clear that the tribes -- who hold polarized opposite views on the matter -- will be unable to settle the dispute on their own. Legal avenues have been thoroughly explored; the case went all the way to the Supreme Court years ago, yet is not resolved.

Congress may well have to step in and develop a formula to parcel out the money, in much the same way that legislators hammered out the original settlement act.

But nobody wants to take the first step without the long-awaited Interior Department analysis of the issues involved.

We urge Interior officials to wrap up the report and release it, as a possible first step to closure in a dispute that has already gone on far too long.