Viewing page 23 of 75

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

National Congress of American Indians can adjust some of these things which have been bad for you people. I dare say, if the Navajos had had their franchise all of the publicity through this land would not have been published. So, I appeal to you Navajos; there are ways to protect your tribal and land interests. You can do it by playing the game of politics. The National Congress of American Indians has been the potent factors to bring about in Congress some of the bills. I ask you to work with the Congress and do all you can. I have no office with the Congress, I am a member and will stay a member. 

WATER SARRACINO, Laguna: 

Ladies and Gentlemen, and friends: I can't help but stand up and try to express myself because something should be done for our people. A lot of people don't understand just exactly how our Indians make their living. They have various ways of making their living and some have enough to support their families, but Laguna and Zuni, we have not sufficient water to irrigate, but they are natural stock raisers. Just as our friends here from the Navajo reservation, we are on a reduction in stock. Our people are depending on stock. In 1935 when this thing came into our reservation they promised us lots of things. They were going to give us and eight-year program for our work if we reduce our stock, and buy us land so we could raise more stock. That promise lasted only about one or two years. When our Pueblo went on the reduction plan it was not carried out the way it should be, they just go in the corral and take all young stock instead of the old stock. A lot of boys were going to get jobs driving trucks, but in a few months' time all our boys were put off. They even took some of the stock away from our old people who have a few head of stock; they promised to get them jobs. Even a fellow with four or five head, he had to get rid of two. That's the way that's been working. If this thing is not stopped we are going to be like the Navajo people. That's what we are fighting against. On our grants and reservation we have a very head of sheep on the section. We try to explain to them we want to use all the grass that is wasting. Our reservation is increasing. We have young fellows that can't get out and get a job like the rest. If they go out and try to get a job, as soon as they find out they are Indian boys and girls, do you think they get a job? That's something that has to be looked into. I have two boys that served in the war. When one came back here and applied for a job up here where they are making that atomic bomb--he took the examination and was qualified the same as anybody else. I said, "Son, how did you come out on your examination?" He said, "There was nothing to it," but his report came back from Washington because he was an Indian boy he couldn't get that job. Why? Because he hasn't any political pull. 

Our villages are far from the hospitals in Albuquerque and there's no transportation for bringing the sick, emergency cases to the hospital. They say, no car, no gas, but still they have a 

-20-