OPA

Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus released the attached statement and fact sheet today concerning the Pacific Northwest salmon fisheries, at a joint news conference held in Seattle with Senator Warren G. Magnuson of Washington.

I am here today not only as the Secretary of the· Interior Department, but also as the representative of President Carter to announce a major commitment of the Carter Administration to the fishing industry of the State of Washington. The Administration will forward to the Congress shortly legislation to authorize the appropriations of $90 million to be used to relieve the economic hardship and dislocations being suffered by the fishing community here. The need for economic assistance arises because: (1) There has been a significant and substantial decline in the runs of some anadromous species; (2) there has been a significant increase in the number of persons commercially fishing; and (3) the Supreme Court recently affirmed the 50-50 allocation of this resource between non-Indian and treaty Indian fishermen in some portions of the fishery.

The stocks of salmon and steelhead which spawn in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest constitute valuable d renewable natural resources which contribute to the food supply, economy and health of the Nation. Many of your citizens have historically depended upon these stocks of fish for their livelihood.

A significant amount of data has been accumulated with regard to enhancement proposals. However, identification of final projects will require close attention to existing biological and other data, and Tribal input as selection procedures are worked out with State agencies. Priority selection will insure that funded projects are enhancement of existing,--and not replacement for--natural runs to the maximum extent practical.

A satisfactory resolution of the question of whether hatchery fish are subject to the Treaty Right is also needed.

Fleet Adjustment Program:

The specific objective of this program is to bring the Indian and non-Indian fleets into appropriate balance consistent with the Supreme Court Decision so that fishing remains a viable economic occupation and so that fishing can occur without adjustment in fishing times. The Administration will recommend an authorization for appropriations of $25 million, to be matched equally by the State, to buy back non-Treaty fishing vessels over ten years. An authorization also will be recommended for a $15 million loan and loan guarantee program to assist Treaty tribes in up-grading vessels and gear. For this fleet adjustment program to be effective, some changes in the State's program of licensing vessels may be needed. Such changes still need to be worked out with the State.

Summary- Federal Commitment:

Interior Solicitor Leo M. Krulitz announced today that a tentative agreement has been reached on a proposed legislative settlement which would give the Cayuga Indian Nation a 548l-acre reservation and an $8 million trust fund in return for extinguishment of the Nation's claim to 64,000 acres in Seneca and Cayuga Counties New York.

"I am delighted to report that all parties to the negotiations--the Cayuga Nation, the State of New York and the Departments of Agriculture and 1nterior--have worked out an agreement on the Cayuga claim," said Krulitz.

A public meeting has been scheduled on the settlement proposal for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 11, in the Delavan Little Theater at Eisenhower College, Seneca Falls, N.Y. Krulitz said the Cayuga Indian Claim work group, which includes federal, state and tribal representatives, will explain the background of the claim and the settlement proposal. The work group will consider modifications to the settlement proposal based on the public's comments before legislation is drafted implementing the settlement. Final settlement will depend upon Congressional approval and a vote of the tribal membership.

"I want to congratulate everyone woo worked so hard to reach this agreement. It proves again that negotiation can result in satisfactory settlements without years of costly court fights," said Krulitz.

The Interior and Justice Departments determined in 1977 that the Cayuga Indian Nation had a credible claim to the return of 64,000 acres--its former reservation, confirmed in a 1794 treaty with the federal government. The lands were later lost in transactions with the State of New York. The transactions were never ratified by the Congress and so are allegedly invalid under the Indian Non-Intercourse Act of 1790.

The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $6.6 million contract for relocating and lining 61/2 miles of main canal on the Colorado River Indian Reservation surrounding the town of Parker, Ariz., Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus announced today.

The contract goes to McCutcheon-Peterson, Arcadia, Calif., on the lowest of six bids opened June 5 in Phoenix, Ariz. Ball, Ball and Brosamer, Inc., Danville, Calif., ,vas second low bidder with an offer of $6.9 million while Collavino Brothers, Jackson, Mich., was third with a bid of $7.6 million. The Engineer's Estimate was $5.4 million. The contractor must complete the work in 600 days.

The new concrete-lined canal, 24 feet wide at the bottom and 13 feet deep, is part of the main canal which serves about 60,000 acres of irrigated land on the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Water for the reservation is diverted at Headgate Rock Dam, on the Colorado River 12 miles downstream of Parker Dam. The dam was completed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1942.

The Bureau of Reclamation prepared the designs and specifications and will supervise construction of the new canal section as delegated by the Colorado River Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Established in 1865, the Colorado River Indian Reservation is the oldest irrigation development on the Lower Colorado River.

The final report of the Indian Religious Freedom Task Force has been sent to the Congress Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus said today.

Andrus chaired the task force, which was established pursuant to President Carter's signing into law the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. More than thirty Federal agencies were represented on the task force. The report to the Congress was mandated by the Act.

In preparing the report, the Federal agencies and the task force conducted formal consultations with Native traditional religious leaders in Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Washington.

The Act declares that it is United States policy for Federal agencies to respect the customs, ceremonies, and traditions of Native American religions. For one year, Andrus said, the agencies have examined their policies and procedures, -as required by the Act. They have worked with Native religious and tribal leaders to assure that the interference and insensitivity of the past will not be repeated in future practice.

He said that with this new policy, it is now possible to accommodate administratively most of the Native traditional religious needs under existing statutory authority. He also said many agencies have already removed impediments to Native religious freedom and developed internal mechanisms for continuing consultation on specific concerns. They also are preparing policies which will assure Native religious freedom in relation to Federal actions, incorporating the new policy into existing procedures and practices at the local level.

The report follows the categorical areas of the Congressional resolution, including land and access to sacred sites, including cemeteries; the use and gathering of sacred objects, including those transported across borders and possessed by museums; and ceremonies and traditional rites as they relate to Federal agency practice.

The formula for distributing Johnson-Q' Malley Act funding to schools serving Indian students will be determined by a run-off election to be conducted this fall, Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Rick Lavis announced today.

The 1978 Education Amendments Act (P.L. 95-561) requires that the distribution formula be chosen by a majority vote of the tribes and Alaska village groups.

The Johnson-O'Malley funds are used to provide supplemental programs for Indian students in Public schools and other non-Federal education programs. In fiscal year 1979 the appropriation for this purpose, serving approximately 171,000 students, was $31,675,000.

Following the publication of proposed formulas this spring, hearings were held at seven locations between March 28 and April 13.

The task force, appointed by Lavis to work on this project, received more than 300 comments on the proposed formulas, including recommendations for 28 additional formulas. After reviewing the hearings testimony, the comments and recommendations, the task force submitted eight formulas May 25 for voting by the tribal groups. None of the eight formulas, however, received the required 51 percent (the votes cast.

The two formulas receiving the greatest number of votes will be submitted to a tribal vote in the run-off election this fall. One of the two formulas has been used for the past four years. It provides straight per capita payments for all students, with increases allowed for states which spend above the national average for education.

The other formula is a straight per capita plan which makes no allowance for cost of education in the state.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in a cooperative effort with the Department of the Interior's Office of Budget have initiated a study of 14 off-reservation Indian boarding schools, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Forrest Gerard announced today.

The purpose of the study to be completed this fall is to provide a basis for planning more effective and efficient uses of the facilities, funds and personnel of the schools.

Assistant Secretary Gerard said the off-reservation schools were “a priority issue demanding a resolution of some basic questions." He said he wanted "answers on the role and function of these schools, what students they would serve, how they fit into the comprehensive educational plans of the Bureau and what could be done to eliminate under-utilization and cost inefficiencies."

The off-reservation schools have generally served three groups of students: (1) those living in isolated areas with no suitable school accessible to them; (2) those with home or family problems and (3) those with social or educational problems. For this latter group, the off reservation boarding schools have often been schools of last resort.

The review will be conducted through both on-site visits and documentary sources.

A public meeting will be held in the Eisenhower College Athletic Center, Seneca Falls, New York, September 11 to discuss the proposed Cayuga Indian Land Claim Settlement announced on August 20.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The time is a half hour earlier than originally announced and the place has been changed from the Delavan Little Theatre to allow ample room and time for all who wish to comment on the proposed settlement.

Members of the Cayuga Land Claim Settlement Work Group will sit as a panel at the meeting. They will explain the background of the land claim and proposed settlement and will receive public comment on it. The group includes Interior Department attorney Tim Vollmann, who chaired the group during the past year; Chief James Leaffe of the Cayuga Nation and other tribal leaders; tribal attorney Arthur Gajarsa; Robert C. Batson of the New York Secretary of State's Office; Jeremiah Jochnowitz and Frank Bresler of the State Attorney General's Office; and Arthur Jutton, administrative aide to U.S. Rep. Gary Lee.

Anyone wishing to make an oral presentation at the public meeting should contact Vollmann in writing at the Division of Indian Affairs, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. 20240.

All written statements on the proposed settlement are welcome and should be mailed to the same address.

All public comments will be carefully considered before the introduction of legislation in the Congress to provide for the settlement of the Cayuga Indian claim.

Bureau of Indian Affairs education administrators nationwide met August 7-9 in Duluth, Minn., to discuss the implementation of new Federal laws affecting Indian education programs, BIA Director of Indian Education Programs Earl Barlow said today.

Barlow said that major changes in Indian education programs will be introduced in the 1979-80 school year through the implementation of the Education Amendments Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-561). He said that the Bureau's education programs were also being affected by legislation on the education of the handicapped (P.L. 94-142) and the Indian Tribally Controlled Community College Act (P.L. 95-471).

The three-day program consisted of workshops and presentations on the regulations and implementation procedures for these Acts and discussions of other matters pertaining to Indian education programs.

Barlow said that the sessions were important "because the administrators are the individuals responsible for making the programs work at the local level in classrooms where children come to learn He said that the administrators would be bringing information from the meeting back to their teachers, dormitory supervisors, school boards and other persons involved in the education of Indian students.

Award of a $43,000 bridge construction project on the Wind River Reservation, Fremont County, Wyoming, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The project, on the Fort Washakie-Arapahoe Road, involves the construction of a three-span steel H-beam bridge with concrete deck, making use of the existing abutments and piers, widening the roadway and increasing the loading design.

The road is a school bus route and services a large number of Indian families in an irrigated district and completes a through route between Fort Washakie and Riverton, Wyoming.

The construction work is a part of a Bureau of Indian Affairs program for the improvement of Indian roads to standards acceptable for incorporation into Fremont County highway system. Upon completion of construction of this bridge, the structure will become a Fremont County bridge. It will be constructed over the Little Wind River about It miles south and 14 miles east of the town site of Fort Washakie.

The successful bidder was Vern H. Miller of Lander, Wyoming. Eight other bids were received ranging from $48,250.70 to $69,834

Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton and Acting Secretary of Agriculture D. Morse today announced the signing of an agreement with the Department of Agriculture for the free distribution of feed grains to Navajo Indians in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, for the maintenance of subsistence livestock.

The program is being initiated, Secretary Seaton said, because of the acute economic distress produced among Navajo tribal members as a result of drought conditions in previous years.

President Eisenhower has already designated the entire Navajo Reservation as an "acute distress area" for purposes of the program.

To be eligible, a Navajo Indian must own not more than 20 "animal units” of livestock maintained primarily for subsistence purposes and must be found by the tribe to be in need of such assistance. An "animal unit" is defined as one cow, one bull or steer, two heifers, three calves, five sheep or goats, or seven lambs or kids.

The grains will be made available from stocks of the Commodity Credit Corporation and will be delivered in carload lots at one or more central locations in response to orders placed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Navajo Tribe will take over responsibility for storing and handling the grains at the delivery points and for distributing them to the eligible Indians.

Distribution will be limited to not more than four pounds of feed per animal unit each day.