PRICE 10c
MARCH, 1961
Indian Arts
Bill Tabled
House Bill No. 157, providing for
Enforcement of the Indian Arts I
and Crafts Sales Act, appointing
an lnspertor, and Requiring a Li
cense fee, came before the Pub
lir Affairs Committee of the New
Mexico Senate on Wednesday the
Bth of March.
For this hearing representatives
of various Indian Tribes were on
hand to hear the details of this
Bill and to speak Os various por
tions of the Bill.
Mrs. Roger Davis Jr., Super
visor of Tribal Enterprises, was
on hand from the Navajo Tribe.
Warren Ondelacy, Governor of
the Zuni Pueblo, represented his
people.
Martin Vigil, Chairman of the
all Pueblo Indian Council spoke
to the Committee about the Bill.
After it had been ascertained
that individual Indians would not
have to purchase licenses, the
Committee voted a “DO PASS“
recommendation to the Bill, where
it came out on the Floor of the
Senate for its hearing.
Mr. Davis inquired if the In
spector would be of Indian des
cent, since it would be the logical
choice to police and inspect In
dian Arts and Crafts.
Senator George D. Amaya of
McKinley County told Mr. Davis
he would inquire of the Attorney
General if an Amendment stating
an-Indian should be appointed In
spector would be constitutional.
On Thursday on the Senate
floor Senator Marion (Pirn) Carr
of De Baca County spoke in favor
of the Bill, and said in all his
time spent in the Legislature of
New Mexico, this was the first
time that the Indian had a chance
to speak his mind on a piece of
legislation affecting him. Senator
Carr said he would vote for the
Bill if it was what the Indians
wanted.
Senator Earl Parker Sr., of Tor
rance County spoke in behalf of
the Bill. Senator Parker stated he
was also glad that the Indians
had a chance to study the Bill
and hear its merits. Both Senators
•poke highly of the members of
the Indian Tribes represented.
Senator Amaya had an oral op
inion from the Atty. General and
•n that opinion he added Floor
Amendment number 1 to the Bill.
The Amendment reas as follows,
The Amendment read as follows,
iian as defined in Section 40-21-25.
2. N.M. Statutes anotated, 1953
compilation, with knowledge of
Indian Arts and Crafts.
The Bill wag passed unani
mously by the Senate and sent
back to the House for concur
rence.
On Friday the Bill came back
to the Senate with another opin
ion of the Attorney General, this
time stating it would not be legal
to state the inspector had to be
au Indian.
The Amendment offered from
the House read, who may be an
Indian
Senator Amaya stated,” this w'as
• direct insllt to the intelligence
Os the Indian, as well as adding
insult to injury.”
Amaya further stated in a phone
"VOICE OF SCENIC NAVAJOLAND"
Published Semi-Monthly By The Navajo Tribe—Window Rock. Arizona
and Crafts
in Senate
conversation with the Editor of
the NAVAJO TIMES;” in view of|
the Attorney General’s ruling the j
representatives of the' Indian peo-j
pie were most emphatic in stat
ing that they did not want the
JNavajo Police
Oeoartment News
TUBA CITY POLICE DISTRICT:
This district has had 27 minor
violation arrests this week and 27
Coconino County Deputy arrests
for the same time. One accident
with injury was also investigated.
Upon checking the guest book,
we note that we have had guests
from as far as Denmark, Austral
ia, a little closer like California.
Louisiana, then many from our
own Arizona and many from New
Mexico.
Our congratulations to Officers
Frankie Lane, Lee C. McCabe,
Tommy Curtis, Robert L. Begay,
for passing their “rookie” school
session. They are now back in the
district and busy.
Officer Todecheenie is back on
duty after being in the hospital a
good two weeks.
Our offices are looking a little
better since we are gradually re
ceiving more furniture such as
file cabinets, chairs, etc.
CROWNPOINT POLICE
DISTRICT:
The officers of Crownpoint Dis
trict extend their deepest sympa
thy to Officer Bob Bill Becenti
and family who recently lost their
baby daughter, Ida Becenti.
The statistics for this week from
Crownpoint are as follows: 59 ar
rests made in Crownpoint District
—all on drunk and disorderly
charges. 3 chapter meetings were
patrolled. 6 basketball games
were patrolled. 5 overnight sings
were patrolled. 1 accident was
investigated by the Traffic Divi
sion at San Antone. New Mexico.
There were three deaths, and they
are as follows: Edward Toledo
died of pneumonia; Ida Becenti
died of natural causes; and Tom
Long died - possible foul play in
volved Officer Warito investiga
ting, body was taken to Albuquer
que for an autopsy.
REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! ..
FORT DEFIANCE
POLICE DISTRICT:
Lieutenant Tsosie has been on
leave Monday and Tuesday on ac
count of sickness in the family.
Sgt. Antonio was on sick leave
and Comp. Time leave Tuesday
and Wednesday.
Jailer Nelson is on sick leave
due to a leg condition.
The I. D. (Identification & Rec
ords; section has moved to the of
fice formerly occupied by Judge
Kirk. The booking office has mov-
Bill at all if they themselves could
not police and protect their own
Arts and Crafts.’'
The Indian representatives ask
ed Senator Amaya to kill the Bill,
as they felt it was not in the
best interests of their people.
Senator Amaya concluded his
remarks with this statement —“lt
is my opinion that any legisla
tion governing the Indian Arts and
Crafts should be approved and de
sired by the Indian people, and be
acceptable to them. They did not
want this legislation and urgently
requested its defeat”. Mr. Davis
stated that he had asked Senator
Amaya to kill the Bill if it was
not fully acceptable to the In
dians themselves.
Better Relations
Sought By Panel
The Indian Affairs Commitlee of
the Chamber of Commerce has
set up a four-point program aim
ing at better relations between
Gallup and Indians.
The committee, discussing ob
jectives for the year, agreed that
progress could be made in:
1— Setting up lines of commun
ication between the people of Gal
lup and the Indians.
2 Encourage better business
atmosphere and an understanding
of the imDortance of the Indian
trade in Gallup.
3 Encourage better recreation,
al facilities.
4 Recognition of the Border
town dormitory and the possibility
of better serving these youngsters,
Earl Vance, committee chair
man said the next meeting will
be held March 27 at 7:30 p.m.,
at the Chamber office. Persons
with ideas or suggestions that fit
in with the work of the committee
are welcome to attend, Vance
said.
ed to the office formerly occupied
by Judge Hubbard.
James Manuelito has about com
pleted the heating system in the
additional offices.
Headquarters looks a little
“sharper” since we have been
backing our vehicles in when
parking. The procedure is follow
ed by all big departments to en
able an officer to leave in a hurry
in case of an emergency.
Officer Joe Ray, the new pro
perty and supply officer, manag
ed to put all of the last three
officers hired in uniforms; this is
certainly a far cry from the old
black hat and Levis worn by new
officers for a year or so while we
got unrforms for them.
The Judges and Court Clerks
moved into their new Butler Bldg.
Judge Lincoln and the Chief Clerk
now occupy the old I. D. Section
id our hiiilrlinir
BIA to Study Indian
Education Soon
Indian education will soon be
under a study by the Bureau of 1
Indian Affaiis. If the group now!
studying Indian affairs fails to 1
make such a recommendation the
House Interior Committee will ask
for the investigation.
Chairman James A. Haley, D.
Fla. of the Indian Affairs Sub-i
Committee and Rep. Ed Edmond-1
son, D-Okla. strongly urged that l
the study be made by BIA at
hearings on Indian problems be
fore the full Committee the past
week.
Congress and President Eisen-j
hower signed a bill 6 years ago'
providing for the study. The leg-|
islation was sponsored by Rep.,
John J. Rhodes of Arizona andi
by Secretary of the Interior Stew-|
art Udall, then a member of thej
House and of the Committee.
Haley made it plain that he!
wanted action on the study. T, e
to’., Interior Department witness-1
es, including Acting Indian Com-|
missioner John Crow, that a re-|
port on such a study was to have ,
been “prepared by the Bureau and
sent to Congress for analysis and
evaluation. For one reason or an-|
other the Bureau has neglected to
press for fends to carry out this
Indian Artists
Entry Blanks
In Santa Fe
Entry blanks for paintings to
be submitted to the American In
dian Artists Exhibition, May 2-31, |
at Tulsa. Okla., are now available
at the Museum of New Mexico,
Art Gallery in Santa Fe.
Philbrook Art Center has long
encouraged the work of contem
porary American Indian artists,
offering its permanent collection
for exhibition in museums and
other institutions in thjp country
and abroad. The museum also sets
standards of performance and pre-i
serves in its collections the visual
records of Indian life.
Indian artists who wish to send
work to the forthcoming show at,
Philbrook may inquire for more
information at the reception desk|
of tlie Art Museum in Santa Fe. <
Aid For Indians 9
Memorial OK’d
SANTA FE (UPI The House «
gave quick, unanimous approval
Thursday to five joint memorials j
asking Congress to improve econ
omic and health conditions of New <
Mexico Indians.
One of the proposals which now j
go to the Senate asks Congress
to set aside one day each year I
as “American Indian Day.”
The memorials were submitted :
by Reps. Albert Lebeck, Dean
Kirk and Joe Murphy, all of Gal
lup; and Edmundo Delgado of
Santa Fe. ,
Congress was asked to:
—lncrease the revolving fund for
economic development of Indian
reservations.
—Assist in solving the Indians
study. I believe that last such
study was made in 1931. Will luiuis
to cany out this study be included
in the forthcoming budget re
quest?”
If not, where has the request
bogged down” Halev asked.
Edmondson pointed out that
“this stands as a Congressional
• request on which there has never
been implementation. We have
not had a comprehensive study on
Indian Education since 1931, which
was a long tim e ago.” He \yanted
to know whether there had oeen
“a breakdown at the Congressional
level, the Bureau of Budget level,
or the Department level, or all
three jointly responsible for the
I failure to have funds appropri
| ated ?”
Associate Commissioner Rex Lee
I said that a determination was
made not to go ahead with that
I study, but I cannot give you the
i details on it. W’e can supply it
Ito you. Lee obseived that Con
gress never appropriated funds to
implement the legislation.
Edmondson suggested that (he
i BIA hasten the education study.
“I think it gi right at the nob
of the whole problem,” said the
Oklahoma* Congressman
Mr. Haley and other members
of the Committee told ol a lot
of compalints that they and their
Indian constituents have about the
current handling, mishandling or
lack of handling of some Indian
problems.
Haley said “I would like the De
partment to study and give us
some recommendations as to your
, \ iew's on the long-term leasing pro-
J gram,” such as the one in effect
on the Palm Springs California
reservation, and the Navajo Res
ervation.
Haley said he thought the BIA
should embark on “a long range
planning program. . . to improve
the economic conditions on reser
vations”. It is absolutely essen
tial that the Department face uip
to the problem of Indian heirship
which he said “is one of the most
critical of all Indian problems.’*
To cut down on the red tape. Ha
ley suggested that the Secretary
of the Interior be permitted to
transfer land to Indian Tribes up
to a certain acreage or land value
without asking for Congressional
authorization for each transaction.
Mr. Edmondson objected to the
delays in getting Indian children
into public schools. “To m e there
is no justification under the sun
for continuing to operate Indian
schools as such, where there are
public schools nearby that are
ready to take them.” In his area
in Oklahoma “there is a philosophy
to try to perpetuate the Indian
school system,” among BIA per
sonnel, Edmondson stated.
Rep. Julia Hansen, D-Wash.. for.
mer Chairman of the Washing,
ton state highway commission,
said that BIA failed to cooperate
with states on real planning pro
grams for Indian highways. “It
is not fair to the tribes themselv
es and to the people in the com
munities surrounding Indian Res-
VQLUME I
NUMBER 12