SPILYAY TYMOO
PAGE 2 OCTOBER 11, 1982
Watt featured speaker at 39th NCAI convention
that the President is very much
interested in Indian Affairs and
Bismarck, North Dakota is concerned with all the
was the setting for the 39th problems Indian Tribes are
annual National Congress of facing today.
American Indian convention
Since, W att has visited
held September 26, through
several Indian reservations and
October 1.
It was like a h u n ters after being with Indians and
paradise. All arrows pointed Alaskan natives, he has seen
toward the feature speaker, what all Indians want is what
James W att, following his all Americans want, he said. “A
address. Some arrows had chance to be self-sufficient. A
quite a sting since, after his chance to choose a life-style. A
speech, delegates didn’t have a chance to provide for family
chance to question him about and children. A chance to live
Indian matters and problems in dignity.”
the Indians face today.
“For the ten percent timber
It was a gathering of all tribal
leaders and representitives fees, it will be handled in its
from throughout the country present form through fiscal
and Alaska, all uniting in full year 1983. In the preparation of
force to discuss critical issues the President’s budget for fiscal
that pose threats to Indian year 1984, the entire cost of the
Indian forestry program will be
country today.
The Secretary of the Interior, displayed and presented to
Watt, delivered the feature Congress.”
address to some 1,500 Indian
W ater issues are vitally
leaders on Monday the 27th. important to the reservations,
He focused on issues of trust especially in the west. A major
resp o n sib ility , the B .l.A . effo rt is being m ake to
realignment, Indian education, negotiate settlement of more
water rights and the ten percent than 50 Indian water right
timber fee, as well as other cases. “By settling these issues,
critical issues that may not we can improve planning for
seem important to some, but the future in both the Indian
should never be overlooked.
and non-Indian communities,”
Being a native of Wyoming, Watt said.
W att said he had never
encountered Indian problems • “ In e d u c a tio n , we are
u n til he w as a p p o in te d making necessary consolida
Secretary of the Interior. He tions because of mandatory
did say in his opening remarks cutbacks in federal funding
by Sid Miller
and because we believe that our
education program must be
improved.”
The B.l.A, is spending more
than one-quarter of a billion
dollars on Indian education
programs, more than one-third
of their total budget.
’’Finally, during my recent:
visit to Alaska, I reconfirmed
th e c o m m itm e n t of th is
administration to enforce the
f e d e r a l c o m m itm e n t to
subsistence rights for Alaska
Natives.
“ A lth o u g h o u r fe d e ra l
governm ent has a special
relationship with the Indian
tribes and native organizations,
and I have some special trust
responsibilities, I believe that
the future lies, not in what the
federal government does for
you, but in what you do for
yourselves.
“It is time for real solutions
to problems rather than short
term, stop-gap solutions.”
In conclusion Watt said,
“You are rich in human and
natural resources which your
nation and the world will
need—resources which we feel
each of you should be allowed
and encouraged to develop as
you see fit.
“It will come because that
spirit th a t led the first
Americans to this continent,
that spirit which enabled
Indians to overcome great
obstacles, still lives deep within
our people.”
At the conclusion of his
James
address, tribal leaders were
eager to present their problems
to the Secretary but, because of Dakota for a pipeline and just
a tight schedule and only a what the Indian rights were.
Watt said that South Dakota
short time to catch his plane,
Watt was unable to hear their h a d so m e w a te r r ig h ts
according to the paperwork. A
questions.
Mr. McBride of the Sioux final allocation of water rights
Tribe squeezed in a question on should be made so everyone
the use of water in South knows where they stand, he
Watt
said. Right now there is a need
for that water, which is a drop
in a tea cup, but is is a precedent
that could grow if we don’t sit
d o w n a n d m a k e th o s e
allocations. “That, again, we
should negotiate and not
litigate,” Watt stressed.
News Miss NCAI selected
Linda Baker, Southern Ute
of Ignacio, Colorado, was
crowned Miss NCAI for 1982-
83 a t the pageant held
Septem ber 30 during the
annual NCAI convention at
Bismarck^ North Dakota.
Miss Baker was chosen from
a field of 20 girls representing
tribes from throughout the
continental U.S. and Alaska.
Her successful bid for the
crown was attributed to her
outstanding talent which was
the Ute creation story in sign
l a n g u a g e . S h e g a in e d
additional points for beauty
and poise.
Miss Baker will carry quite a
load during her reign as Miss
NCAI for the coming year.
Miss NCAI has a busy schedule
all year long which includes a
lot of traveling.
Spilyay Tymoo Staff
(Coyote News Staff)
Managing Editor
Assistant Editor
Darkroom/ Writer
Reporter
Typesetter
Sid Miller
Donna Behrend
Marsha Shewczyk
Pat Leno
Priscilla Squiemphen
Regina R uth C hristies,
C herokee from T ahlequa,
Oklahoma was first runner-up.
Her talent was piano solo and
singing.
Leela Shegonee, Praire Band
P ataw ato m i from Stevens
Point, W isconsin waS the
second runner-up.
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R ose A b ra h a m , Y upik
Eskimo of Cook Inlet, Alaska
was named Miss Congeniality.
The whole group of girls was
great and it appeared to be a
tough decision for the judges to1
choose ' the winners.