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WHEREAS, in many such cases the Indians are destitute and sorely in need of subsistence, clothing, and other necessities, and operating funds, but are unable to realize any income from these assets, and

WHEREAS, such restrictions are resulting in the forced liquidation of their assets at unconscienable prices without such restrictions they could improve and develop their assets and attain higher standards of living, and

WHEREAS, many of the regulations contained in the Code of Federal Regulations are antiquated and were originally adopted for particular situations and should not properly be applied on a general, over-all basis,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED by the National Congress of America Indians, assembled in convention, September 24 to 28, 1956, Salt Lake City, Utah, that 25 CFR be rapidly and expeditiously reviewed with a view toward relieving the Indians as a whole from the regulations which should properly be applied only in specific cases.

RESOLUTION NO. 4

Water Rights -- Arizona vs. California

WHEREAS, the United States has intervened in the lawsuit between the States of Arizona and California now pending before the Supreme Court of the United States for the adjudication of the water rights in the lower basin of the Colorado River; and

WHEREAS, at the pre-trial conference held in San Francisco, California, on April 9, 1956, for the purpose of simplifying the issues in the case, the attorneys representing the United States and purporting to represent the Indian Tribes of the lower basin stated that they had no theory regarding the case with respect to the Indians, and they appeared to have no interest or preparation to try this extremely complicated case so as to protect the interest of the Indians; and

WHEREAS, the attorney in the Department of Justice who, for many years had been assigned to defend and protect the rights and interests of Indians in cases involving Indian water rights, was transferred to other duties apparently without adequately briefing his successor in the pending case before the Supreme Court; and furthermore, the Engineer, retained by the Government to prepare technical evidence in support of Indian rights, has not been consulted by the Department of Justice in detail to adequately prepare this difficult case; and

WHEREAS, the Indian Tribes of the lower Colorado River basin have heretofore refrained from trying to intervene directly in the case of Arizona v. California on expressed assurance by the Department of Justice of the United States as the legal arm of the United States, their trustee, would properly protect their rights; and

WHEREAS, it appears that their rights are not properly represented and protected by the Department of Justice;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the National Congress of American Indians, in convention assembled, September 24 to 28, 1956, respectfully petitions the Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to request the Attorney General of the United States to protect sincerely and vigorously the rights of the Indian people and Indian Tribes of the lower basin of the Colorado River against all conflicting claims arising out of the case of Arizona v. California.