Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-08-27
Navajo Reservation as Big as Connecticut
New Jersey, Rhode Island and Then Some

opened, The article is supposed TO
have originated with the New York
Evening Post
Tho writer first aludcs 10 the pro
grrssiyc spirit of New Mexico, takes
sotirical slap az the spanish Amer.
icon portion Of the population, and
intlmutos that the whole state is now
bent ON securing this one thing FOR
the purpose ct attracting "lmmi-
grants from the east" Proceeding.
he says.
ION the map II would cover an
the state of Connecticut east at the
Connecticut river"
Right here he begins to demon.
strate his ignorance. The Navajo In
dian reservation covers little more
than utty-thrcc townships In Utah,
l2G In New Mexico. and 462 In ART
zuna, there are thirty.six square
miles Co township. or over 23.O76
square miles In the Navajo Indian
reservation. This. instead OF cover
ing "all Of the state of Connecticut
east of the Connecticut river" would
cover an Of the state OF Connecticut
both east and west OF the Connect
cut river. witch only contains f.9e0
square miles, and Ia addition the
state at Massachusetts. with S.3ld
square miles. New Jersey with ISIS
square miles. Rhode Island with L.
$50 square miles, and would leave
the small balance Of $3.50 acres.
The tour states mentioned had a
population In 1910 OF little over
1900. 600 The Navajo Indian reser-
walton bias a population OF consider
ably less than 10000. or about one
Navajo to one and quarter square
miles, or one 20 about 500 acres. Il
Is claimed that there are over 10000
Navaios and there are probably few
more than that number. hut of this
total many thousands are located Oft
the reservation on lands which have
been allotted 20 them from the pub
lie domain. This action of the Indian
department In trying Co usurp adj
ditional lands to spread the Naya-
jos ON. when they already had FAR
moro than they use or occupy on the
reservation, is of course, resented boy
the people of Now Mexico particular
IS those nearest the navajo resorya-
ton ana they viii continue 60 OPP
pose such policy az well as 20 de-
mand the opening Of az least a part
Of the unnecessarily large reserya-
tlun.
After displaying hts ignorance as
90 the size Of the Navajo reservation.
the writer goes on 10 tell some more
OF the things he does not know, as
| follows.
But now not even the kcen-cyed
spies Moses sent into Canaan could lind
In q forty DAYS search through the
huge reservation, enough arabic land
TO take care OF u hundred white
families with the traditions OF their
race"
ON the navajo reservation In the
/ san Juan valley alone there II from
! 60. 900 90 10000 acres OF land which
! can be- easily and chcaply irrigated
| from the san Juan river This land
| is just like that now farmed by the
/ white people right across the river
| from part of H. aud just a few miles
| up the valley from the balance OF
/ b. This land, under the care OF "a
I good farmer and orchardlst, h capa-
] bile of supporting family 90 every
! five or ten acres. ana Is valued al
from 800 To $500 an acre That pors
ton of the san Juan valley on the
raaeryation Is alone capable OF pro
Wiling homes fof eVcrv Navnio la eX'
istence az course, the Post inform
AIT would tell Hs that they were a
nomadio people and should not be
4 compelled to farm, bur allowed "a
herd sheep; all right, then why al
low the Indian department 20 hold