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Show U-Ores Bring Fair Return To Indian Tribal Owners GRANTS, N. M. Uranium ore Is being taken from the Navajo and Pueblo Indian lands of New Mexico and Arizona. In return, the Indians are receiving fair pay, as determined by their own tribal council and government officials, for '.heir ores. Thus, new wealth is pouring Into the coffirs of the people white pioneers once pushed aside to exploit their lands. The Navajos and Pueblos are not the only Indians to benefit from the many rich uranium strikes made in their districts. On the Laguna Reservation about 45 miles from Albuquerque is being developed one of the greatest uranium ore bodies in the U. S. to date, according to Sen. Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico who describes it as the first multi-million ton deposit discovered. The Zunl tribe will receive monetary benefits as will the Acomas who dwell In the "Sky City." There Is quite a rv.sh on to seek permits to explore Indian land for uranium, and the United Pueblos agency at Albuquerque reveals that numerous Inquiries are being received from uranium companies vhlch wish to negotl- ate payments for the privilege of prospecting the Pueblo reservations of Santo Dominto, Jemez, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Nam-be and Isleta In New Mexico. As described elsewhere in this Energy Edition, numerous Indians are being employed directly In the uranium industry. Several am working at the new Kcrr-Mc-Gee processing plant at Shiprock, and Anaconda plans to use several when the new plant It Is building is completed this year. Aside from the job opportunities, it has been estimated that Indians of New Mexico, southern Colorado and Arizona will eventually receive as much as $50 million dollars from uranium operations on their reservations. So, for the first time in recorded history, these particular Indians will have money for schools, homes, industries, churches, towns, recreation, luxury, that has never before been available to them. Some tribal councils are working out formulas whereby each member of the tribe receiving uranium money will be credited with his or her equal share, some will be invested in government bonds and tribal savings accounts. Revolving credit funds are scheduled to be established and may already be in operation, enabling Indian youths to borrow to finance their education In colleges, families will be able to borrow to improve their homes or to buy property off the reservation, and needy minors will be able to draw from these revolving funds. Per capita payment, which has yet to receive approval of the councils, may be about 10 or IS per cent of the funds received. But that dav seems to be a long way in the future. To better their reservations, long-range erosion control and prevention projects are planned, thus assuring fertile soil for future generations to till. Many other tribal council plans are for betterment of the full reserva-tlon population. |
