Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay today announced that steps will be taken immediately at the Navajo Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Window Rock, Ariz., looking toward the establishment of five new subagencies covering the 15 1/2 million acre Navajo area in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Headquarters for the subagencies will be at Tuba City, Ariz., for the western part of the reservation with about 6,110,000 acres of land and 13,065 population; at Shiprock, N. Mex., for the northeast portion with about 2,772,000 acres and 17,052 population; at Crownpoint, N. Mex., for the eastern (mainly off-reservation) area covering about 1,235,000 acres and 16,934 Navajos; at Chinle, Ariz., for the central zone with approximately 2,106,000 acres and 11,133 Navajos; and at Fort Defiance, Ariz., for the southern area consisting of roughly 3,327,000 acres and 20,166 population.
Each of the subagencies will be headed by an assistant superintendent who will report directly to General Superintendent G. Warren Spaulding at Window Rock. All will be given broad authority to make spot decisions within the general framework of policy and procedure as a means of bringing the administration of Navajo affairs closer to the people, Each of the subagency headquarters will be staffed with Bureau employees who have previously been working in these areas under general supervision from Window Rock.
The Indian Bureau hopes to have the subagencies at Tuba City, Shiprock and Crownpoint established by June 30 and the other two later in the summer or early fall.
Marion A. South has already been selected for the post at Tuba City and Elvin G. Jonas for Shiprock. The other assistant superintendents will be designated as the subagencies reach the stage of actual operation.
