Past News Items

The Department of the Interior today announced approval of a coal mining and electric power development lease by Utah Construction Company, San Francisco, Calif., embracing some 24,000 acres on the Navajo Indian Reservation just south of Fruitland, New Mexico.

Award of a $130,590.00 contract for construction of additions to Beclabito Indian School near Shiprock; New Mexico, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

W. H. Elliott of Albuquerque, New Mexico was the successful bidder. Four higher bids, ranging from $136,992.00 to $175,561.00, were received.

Reappointment of Floyd E. Maytubby, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as Governor of the Chickasaw Indian Tribe for a two-year term beginning October 18 was announced today by secretary of the interior Fred A. Seaton.

In advising Mr. Maytubby of the reappointment, Secretary Seaton noted that he had served in the office "with dignity and integrity" since October 18, 1939.

Award of a $404,743.80 contract for construction of 15,930 miles of access road into the Navajo Reservation, McKinley County, New Mexico, to the W. A. Hamilton, Jr. Construction Company of Gallup, New Mexico, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The Hamilton bid was the lowest of eight received with the other bids ranging from $443,688.44 to $524,951,04.

Award of a $648,685.59 contract for construction of 24.0909 miles of road on the Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservations, Navajo County, Arizona, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The project is part of the Indian Bureau's long-range program to improve roads on the two reservations. This is the final section of the road from Keams Canyon to U. S. Highway 66, about six miles east of Holbrook, and makes an all-weather road over this route.

Appointment of Turner Bear, Checotah, Oklahoma, as Principal Chief of the Oklahoma Creek Indian Tribe for a two-year term, beginning immediately, was announced today by Secretary of the Interior Fred, A. Seaton.

Mr. Bear is a full-blood Creek Indian who has taken an active interest in tribal affairs and is now a member of the Creek Indian Council. He succeeds Roley Buck who has served as Principal Chief since 1955.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs expects to enable about 500 adult Indians to enroll in accredited vocational training schools during the fiscal year that ends next June 30, Assistant Secretary of the Interior Roger Ernst announced today.

Under the Indian school vocational training program, the Bureau will not only provide tuition but also transportation to the place of training and subsistence during the course of study for the trainee and his immediate family dependents.

The wind-up of all Indian Bureau road maintenance responsibilities in Michigan has now been accomplished with the transfer of 18.3 miles serving the L'Anse Reservation and Potawatomie Indian lands to Barage and Menominee Counties, the Department of the Interior announced today.

Conservation of timber resources on the Klamath Indian Reservation of south central Oregon is "of primary importance to the economy of the area and to the welfare of the public generally", Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton said today in commenting on S. 2047, a bill that provides for Federal acquisition of all Klamath tribal lands.

Acting Secretary of the Interior Hatfield Chilson today announced the receipt of cashier's checks in the amount of $40,000 from S. W. Barton, president of Colorado River Enterprises, Inc., representing payment of advance rental on two tracts involved in the corporation's 25-year lease on 67,000 acres of the Colorado River Indian Reservation in Arizona.