Navajo times. [volume] (Window Rock, Ariz.) 1960-1984, 1962-07-11
Gallup Office o Remain Unchanged
TRIBE PROTESTS BIA DECISION
EDITORIAL
"AREA OF THE CALLUP"lNC GHOST

AkEA VI IHE OALLUF INC GHOST
The progress of the Navajo Tribe through program
ming and planning has been phenomenal This progress
has been made despite the frequent opposition of the
Gallup Area Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Tribe has seen the Area Director or his staff
only few times each year in Window Rock to confer
win Tribal officials the Tribal Council the Tribal
staff
The Congress of the United States has been most
sympathetic and helpful in the development and prog
ress OF the Navajo Tribe In $780, there was the esab-
lishment of the Long Range Program wherein Congress-
recognized the need for education of Indians and put
into effect measures which provided the school fac
tues to allow our young people the opportunity to
obtain an education. The Congress appropriated 20
million dollars for the Anderson-Udall Highway bill
which made possible two major east-west HIGHWAYS
crossing the reservation Long term leasing for indus
rlal and developmental projects provided the
Navajo 99-year lease bill Today we have start in
private home ownership because of this.
The Navajo Irrigation-San Juan-Chama Projects
nave been recently passed with strong support from
Congress.
The expressedwill of Congress has been generally
very sympathetic and helpful to the Navajo Tribe and
the Tribe sincerely appreciates the of the Con-
gfeSS. The Tribe has quarrel with the CONGRESS-
However the Tribe definitely does have
quarrel with the Interior Department and the Bureau
of Indian Affairs
The Tribe particularly resents the attitude of the
Gallup Area Office in the execution of authorized pro-
grams and expenditure of funds appropriated supposed
ly for Indians by the Congress of the United States
The Tribe uneQuivOcally the Gallup Area
Office OF changing the intent of Congress by arbitrary
action.
Chairman Paul Jones, of the Navajo Tribal Council
made the following statement March %, 1861, to
the Task Force representing Secretary of the Inter-
ior The statement made in support of the Navajo
Tribes need to strengthen the Naval Agency Superin
tendent so that he could deal directly with the Navajo
Tribe and the Commission of Indian Affairs.
THE present organization and existing lines of
authority in the Bureau of Indian Affairs presents
ralprobems to the Navajo Tribe and seriously inter-
feres in the effective and expeditions handling of the
Tribal problems. Some of these are:
l. Funds: The present top heavy organization the
central office particularly the level absorbs
an unreasonable portion of funds appropriated by the
Congress for the benefit of Indian tribes This results
in minimal amount ESTIMATED to be twenty five per
cent OF the appropriated funds) for execution the
programs authorized by the Congress for the benefit
of the Indian tribes.
g. The arbitrary and not infrequently unwarranted
exercise of assumed discretion both the central Of
flee and at the area level is such defeat the will
and mandate of Congress.
Examples a. Arbitrary rejection of the Navajos
application to borrow loan funds authorized by the Con-
gress The result in this instance also to charge
the Tribe with larger portion of the expense includ
ing salaries of administering the program.
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