| OCR Text |
Show the land claim. The tribe decided to leave this matter out of their land claim litigation, saying that they believed it had never been "legally" taken from them. 175 The Zuni Tribal Council likewise asserted that their equally long-standing full rights of access along the sacred trail to Kolhu/wala:wa should also be recognized, so that their priests could continue to make the sacred pilgrimage without any resistance from non-Zuni ranchers along the route. Zuni religious leaders worked with tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs officials to map this area that was considered so crucial to the religious and cultural life of the tribe. Since Henry Yawakia holds a clan position as a guardian of Pautiwa and thus is permanent member of the quadrennial pilgrimage group and is also an engineer with the B.I.A. offices at Zuni, in the early 1980s as efforts continued to gain title to Kolhu/wala:wa he was asked to survey the area. He carried out his mission, but not without some trouble. Mr. Yawakia reported that he was stopped by one of Mr. Piatt's men who, according to Mr. Yawakia pulled a gun on him and said he was not allowed there. It is not clear which Mr. Piatt the man worked under. He was on the Seven Springs Ranch in October of 1980 or 1981. Henry and 175. Bellson, Shirley L. "September 1, 1981, Meeting on the Zuni Land Claims," B.I.A. Zuni Correspondence Files. When the Zuni Tribe requested a report on the status of title to Kolhu/wala:wa from Indian Pueblo Legal Services, the firm Luebben, Hughes & Kelly provided a report, by contract, on the subject. This report also supported the claim of Zuni aboriginal title to the area. Luebben, Hughes <3c Kelly "The Status of Zuni Aboriginal Indian Title to Kolhu/wala:wa ("Zuni Heaven"), prepared under contract with Indian Pueblo Legal Services, Inc. for submission to the Zuni Indian Tribe, July 31, 1981, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 176. Montgomery to Lewis, October 23, 1981, Zuni, New Mexico, B.I.A. Zuni Correspondence Files. - 120 - |
