Proceeds of labor, Western Navajos (O. R. & L.), 1931.
Proceeds of labor, Western Navajo school, 1931.

Proceeds of labor, Western Navajo Indians, Arizona school, 1931. 5T455.01..
Special deputy, sheep diper, 1931.

Grand total...

Funds the Indians have to their credit:

Tribal: Answered under "Income and expenditures."

Individual Indian money: None.

5T368.019..
5T3.1490.

$5, 916. 25

Tribal.

General.

500.00 2,067.00 2,500.00

NOTE. Allotments shown where there has been little if any money expended have either been made recently or the funds have been hypothecated for purchases which are now pending.

Mr. G. W. KIMBALL,

WESTERN NAVAJO AGENCY, Tuba City, Ariz., June 12, 1931.

Supervisor Tusayan National Forest, Williams, Ariz.

DEAR MR. KIMBALL: When the Senate Subcommittee on Indian Affairs visited us the question of whether or not additional grazing lands could be obtained for Indians was brought up, and I was directed by the chairman of the committee, Hon. Lynn J. Frazier, and Hon. J. Henry Scattergood, Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs, to communicate with you and ascertain your views and recommendation in regard to transferring from your jurisdiction to ours the remaining land in the eastern end of the northern division of the Tusayan Forest. This would probably include those townships lying east of the range line between 4 and 5.

If this acquisition were possible, we would not be particularly interested in any timber that might be within the area, and such might be reserved to your department. The only thing we are interested in is the grass. I know you have a few permittees within this area, but I presume the permits are

small, and some arrangement might be made to satisfy them if it were found for the best interest of those most concerned to make the transfer.

I suggest the township line only as a basis for consideration in order that we might have something definite to go on. If such a transfer could be made, it would add, approximately, townships 28, 29, and 30 north, in ranges 5 and 6 east, or a total of a little less than five and one-half townships. The Grand Canyon National Park would then be the boundary on the north and the line between ranges 4 and 5 east would be the western boundary of the reservation.

A copy of this letter will be sent to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and to Hon. Lynn J. Frazier, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Indian Affairs, Washington. I would appreciate it very much if you would send copies of your reply to these same persons, or permit me to do so, in order that these gentlemen may know the action we have taken.

Very truly yours,

C. L. WALKER, Superintendent.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,
Washington, October 6, 1931.

MY DEAR SENATOR: This is in reference to the matter of obtaining the Coconino Basin area in the Tusayan National Forest for addition to the Western Navajo jurisdiction. This subject matter came up while some of the Senate party, including Mr. Scattergood, were driving with Superintendent Walker from Cameron to Grand Canyon.

We have taken the matter of acquiring these lands up with the Department of Agriculture and have been advised by that department that it has heretofore concurred in the transfer of other large areas and in the proposed transfer of about 100,000 acres to the Havasupai Reservation, and it therefore can not regard with favor the transfer of further lands from this unit which are chiefly valuable for national-forest purposes.

The Department of Agriculture further states that these lands have not hitherto been used by the Indians and that a number of permittees have wellestablished grazing privileges and have built water tanks and otherwise placed improvements on the land; also that part of the desired area is involved in a going timber sale contract, and most of it bears a vital relationship to the remainder of the Grand Canyon division of the Tusayan Forest.

The Department of Agriculture specifically stated that under the circumstances it does not favor the transfer of further lands from the Tusayan National Forest. Therefore, apparently there does not seem to be anything further that we can do toward acquiring these lands at this time.

Sincerely yours,

Hon. LYNN J. FRAZIER,

United States Senate.

J. HENRY SCATTERGOOD,

Assistant Commissioner.

Senator FRAZIER, How many Indians have you?

Mr. WALKER. The last census showed 4,508. Of this number, 4,095 are Navajos, 388 Hopis, and 25 Piutes.

Senator FRAZIER. Where do these Piutes live?

Mr. WALKER. Scattered among the Navajos and up in Piute Canyon, a distance of 80 miles north of the agency here.

Senator FRAZIER. Is that what is known as the Piute strip?
Mr. WALKER. On the edge of it; yes, sir.

Senator FRAZIER. You are familiar, of course, with the bill that is pending before Congress in regard to the Piute strip being turned over to the Navajos?

Mr. WALKER. Yes, sir.

Senator FRAZIER. What do you think about that?

Mr. WALKER. I think by all means it should be passed. The land was formerly a part of the Indian reservation and it was withdrawn and cut full of holes for oil, but after finding no oil it has been abandoned by the white people and it is occupied almost entirely by the Indians. It is the last land in that section of the country that is available for Indians and they need land so badly. When they can get that, and it would not cost them anything, it seems to me they should have it.

Senator FRAZIER. Who occupies this land now?

Mr. WALKER. The Indians and I believe 3 white men, 3 white people-1 or 2 traders and 1 farmer.

Senator FRAZIER. Do these white men have title to the land?

Mr. WALKER. Yes; they could be bought out or left there; it would not make any particular difference.

Mr. SCATTERGOOD. Their status would not be altered.

Senator ASHURST. In what State?

Mr. WALKER. In the State of Utah, south of the San Juan River. Senator ASHURST. Is that the same strip of land with respect to which Representative Colton, of Utah, rendered some valuable service in ironing out difficulties?

Mr. WALKER. Yes. I was going to add that the San Juan River forms a natural boundary on the north for this land and there would be no necessity of fencing it in order to prevent the encroachment of whites or Indians on the rights of each other. It is a natural boundary.

Mr. SCATTERGOOD. Then that canyon barrier would extend all the way down from the north side to the west side?

Mr. WALKER. Yes, sir.

Mr. SCATTERGOOD. Of the entire Navajo Reservation?

Mr. WALKER. Yes, sir.

Senator FRAZIER. How many children have you in boarding school here?

Mr. WALKER. Three hundred and eight, I believe, to-day.
Senator FRAZIER. Is that the total capacity of the school?

Mr. WALKER. That is a little above the capacity, but we almost had to take that many in.

Senator FRAZIER. How many grades do you have?

Mr. WALKER. Six.

Senator FRAZIER. What is your idea of the number of grades that should be taught here? Have you recommended an increase in the number of grades, or do you think it best the way it is?

Mr. WALKER. I think for the time being that sixth grade is as far as we should try to take the children with the plant we have. It would necessitate the erection of an additional plant, I believe, to take care of the children in the more advanced grades, due to the fact that we can not take care of all the small children as it is. If we get a plant too large, it will be unwieldy and top heavy. I do not think it would be possible to have up to the eighth grade.

Senator FRAZIER. You say you can not take care of all the small children now?

Mr. WALKER. No, sir. We have practically doubled the capacity of the school as the result of new construction, but when you get the school above 500 I believe it would be somewhat unwieldy, and

I do not believe it would be as satisfactory as it would be if you had the more advanced grades in a separate school.

Senator FRAZIER. When you complete the building program that you have started here, will you have room for more children? Mr. WALKER. Yes. The rated capacity will be 450, and they can be very comfortably taken care of.

Senator FRAZIER. You heard the statement of one of these witnesses in regard to a request for a boarding school at Kayenta? Mr. WALKER. Yes.

Senator FRAZIER. Do you think it is quite necessary?

Mr. WALKER. I think we should have a school at Kayenta. We tried to maintain Kayenta as a boarding school, and for the same reasons given by those witnesses we found it almost prohibitive. It is too expensive to transport supplies. We should have a day school there, I feel, and the sanitarium, perhaps, should be converted into a general hospital. That is just my personal opinion. Senator FRAZIER. How many families are there in close enough proximity to Kayenta for children to come to the day school?

Mr. WALKER. Just now there are not many, but the irrigation service is helping us to get a dam reconstructed there so that the farm community will be reestablished, and when it is I think we could depend upon at least 60 families and perhaps more.

Senator FRAZIER. So that would furnish children enough for a good-sized day school?

Mr. WALKER. Yes, sir.

Senator FRAZIER. Do you think a day school, then, would be preferable to a boarding school up in that territory?

Mr. WALKER. I believe it would, unless we were sure of the right kind of employees to operate the boarding school, and it is very difficult to get people to go out 160 miles from the railroad for the same salaries as they could get at a place like Phoenix or Albuquerque or closer in.

Senator FRAZIER. That applies to day-school teachers, too. Mr. WALKER. Not so much so. We find many times day-school teachers are willing to go out to places of that kind, but you can not get a group of employees to go out.

Senator FRAZIER. What about the financial condition of those Indians? Will they need help in the way of clothing for the children, better homes, and so forth, in order that the children might be kept clean at home?

Mr. WALKER. Yes. Their financial condition at the present time is very bad, but they are self-supporting. They should have a great deal of assistance in the way of schools and hospitals. If you have a school there we should, of course, furnish them with clothing and noonday lunches at least.

Senator FRAZIER. Do you know, or did you give in your report, the number of children in this western Navajo jurisdiction who are of school age but who are not in school at all?

Mr. WALKER. I believe in the last section. If not, I can tell you. The school census showed approximately 1,500 children of school age. Of this number there are only about 700 in school.

Senator FRAZIER. That is both reservation, nonreservation, and public school?

Mr. WALKER. Yes; some of these, of course, are eligible and some are not. I do not think the school

Senator FRAZIER. There would not be very many that are not eligible to go to school, would there any large number?

Mr. WALKER. There are quite a number not eligible.
Senator FRAZIER. How do you mean?

Mr. WALKER. Due to the fact that they must be kept at home to help keep the family going. The Navajos must follow their herd from place to place, and it is not possible for one father and mother to raise a family and herd the sheep and look after the stock; consequently, there are a certain percentage of the children who must be left on the reservation.

Senator FRAZIER. Would you call the children not eligible to go to school because the parents keep them at home?

Mr. WALKER. I think so. Not eligible for enrollment.

Senator FRAZIER. That would hardly meet my definition of that. Mr. WALKER. I would say not eligible for enrollment because of that.

Senator FRAZIER. You mean, owing to their living conditions and their financial condition they can not be sent to school. Would that apply to children coming down here to boarding school, for instance? Mr. WALKER. In some instances; yes, sir. I might say by way of explanation that I could cite a number of cases where the head of a family own sheep, cattle, and horses. There is the man and wife and perhaps three or four children. Some of these children are 1, 2, or 3 years old. How can he herd the sheep and look after the cattle and be a herdsman and go 20 to 40 miles to the store to buy supplies and make a living unless some were left at home to herd the sheep and help their mother?

Senator FRAZIER. What do you recommend under circumstances of that kind?

Mr. WALKER. Day schools where facilities and natural advantages are such that we can have day schools, but there are places where I have nothing to recommend, because there is not much that can be done.

Senator FRAZIER. We are strongly in favor of day school where it is possible to have day school. Have you made any recommendation for further school facilities for these 800 or thereabouts of Navajo children who are not in school?

Mr. WALKER. I recommended that at least two day schools be built just as soon as funds are available, but until more irrigation is available there are no other places I know of where day schools would be practicable. There are two other possibilities, but not until after we develop the water.

Senator FRAZIER. What about this general health condition of the Indians on this reservation?

Mr. WALKER. I think the general health conditions here are at least as good as on the other Indian reservations, particularly the Navajo Reservation; possibly better, due to the fact we are farther from the railroad and have less trouble with whisky and venereal diseases and diseases of white people from the outside.

Senator FRAZIER. You say you have very little violation of the prohibition law?