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Show In ffct Mwi C hri Ute Chairman Testifies at Senate Hearing for Utah Water Prefect Department of the Interior officials assured tribal representatives that a decision on certification of the Uintah Unit of the Central Utah Project will be made within 60 days at meetings early this month in Washington, D.C. The certification of the project represents the first step toward the construction of two reservoirs cm the reservation to store tribal water. The tribal delegation, headed by Business Committee Chairman Lester INSPECTING THE MA- P- Uf tlM Inmki Md Represents far the Uto Trike. The environ mental the Ute Tribe. Ceatral Utah Project are left Chapoose and included the tribal attorneys, council members, staff and representatives, met with elected officials and policy makers in the nation's capital as part of the continuing effort to protect the tribe's water rights. The trip was prompted by the delay in the construction of the Uintah Unit which is of primary concern to the Ute reservation. According to the proposed project this unit when completed will ffae provide the tribe with needed water the water righte af storage facilities. Representatives from Duchesne and Uintah Counties also met with policy makers to discuss the Upalco and Jensen Units of the project. Chairman Chapoose delivered a statement to the Senate Subcommittee on Public Works of the Committee on Appropriations. In his statement, Mr. Chapoose said, the development of these waters is an absolute essential to the Indians in improving the quality of life on Ute tribal members are at the polls petitions for recall of any members of the reservation. Our goal is to attain election for vote or the to the Business Committee, the petitions against today for the Ute economic ordinance adopted by the Tribal Business will be referred to a Special Election Committee. Board consisting of seven tribal people. He cited the "Winter Doctrine which members appointed by the Tribal The electioh day is a result of a special gives the prior right to the use of the Business Committee. general council meeting last month when waters to the Ute people. He said there is members of the tribe met with the Section A4 line two amended by a great need for regulation and storage of Business Committee to recind the substituting the word any for the word the early spring flows for later use. "each. . ordinance. "Many acres of good agricultural land In question is tribal ordinance No. now he dormant because of the lack of Section D--l Une five amended to read court 1 which governs election procedures with the files candidate regulated water for irrigation he arid. 'aggrieved to elect representatives to the Business In 1966 the Ute Tribe entered in and serves upon." . . Committee. It also establishes steps for also of the Members agreement with federal agencies to defer opposing group this tribe use of the water until 2005. recall elections and referendum votes. attended the staff meeting. This enabled the project to get underway At the special general council meeting, The two main points in the ordinance on the premise that the Uintah, the a resolution was passed by the tribal which changes the present election members present stating the ordinance Upalco, and the Ute Indian Units would are establishment of a the procedures same be pursued for the benefit of the tribe and was invalid. In a special session the election and the appointment of primary a set Committee its members. Chapoose stated "these day day, the Business a special election board. units have been unduly delayed to the for the referendum vote according to Article 9 of the Constitution and detriment of the Ute Tribe of Indians. We feel that the good faith we displayed Bear Dance made also when we signed the 1966 agreement has The Business Committee on Hatch ordinance not been honored by the Government. the to amendments the In WHterocks 4 No. We hope the Government didn't obtain clasifying resolution 11 by a At sections. special' our full cooperation without intending to wording in certain enrolled foUow up on their commitments, all to our with tribally staff meeting The community of Whiterocks will host and DuShane 14, Elwyn great detriment. But when we see employees May the last Bear Dance of the season May 81 Council members, development all around us of water whkh Gary Poowegup, through June 8 at the Bear Dance would otherwise flow across our exnlained the changes in the ordinance. grounds. The traditional feast is reservation, we feel we have been Sections amended are BS which reads scheduled for the last night of the event. forgotten. Our patience isn't inexhausti within 15 days after the delivery of the Utes Challenge Council Ordinance at Polls Today cy 74-0- By-Law- Set s. 71-6- ble and my people need to see a showing of your good faith. We expect completion of these needed works within a short term and demand that the Uintah Unit be undertaken at the earliest possible date. We seek results not promises. The Ute Chairman asked as an absolute minimum that $1,000,000 be appropriated during the fiscal year far each of the co, Uintah and the Ute three Indian Units. According to Chapoose, certain benefits of the project cannot be overlooked. Over 29,000 acres of tribal land would become irrigatable; a steady flow of the streams would be maintained to regulate the overflow during the early months and reduction in water level during the summer months. The recreation potential on the reservoirs as well as improved fishing in the streams is unlimited.1 The streams would not dry up as is commonly believed, stated Chapoose. He stressed the tribe is not giving up its water rights but merely deferring Hie use of them. Chapoose added the period of time elapsed since the deferral agreement is unreasonable. He said the trip to Washington was necessary for preliminary work to begin. Since the 1966 agreement, several units-Upal- groups have opposed the project including the California based Sierra Club and other ecological groups. Among those in opposition are a small number of Ute Tribal members. Continued on Page 6 YAitcr System Amauncos Km Una Gcnstraclicn n Installation of a water line a bottleneck in the designed to Indian Bench area began this week, according to Harvey Natehees, Domestic Water System superintendent. two-sectio- by-pa- ss Once installed, the first section, by-passi- the bottle neck will increase water pressure in homes in the area. A second section running parallel to the Whiterocks Rd. and continuing to Highway 40 is the first step toward an additional water line to the Ballard area. Cost of the new lines which total three miles, will be $128,000. Funds for the project include $68,000 in Domestic Water System monies, $60,000 from Federal Revenue Sharing Funds and $20,000 from a Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) grant. The project is scheduled for completion in July. Personnel hired for the project are Frank Unea 8am, Glenn Tom, Qyde Tabbee, Clifton Manning, Larry Black, Petro Serawop and Alvin Ignacio. Richard Fausett is foreman for the project. |