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Show Shivwits 117 in varying degrees. The remaining 5 families were totally dependent upon public assistance. Of the 28,160 acres on Shivwits only 85 were considered suitable for homesites and gardening. The only tribal income was $1,500.00, which was received from the single lease on reservation lands. The average family income was about one third of the estimated income of non-Indian families in the adjacent area. After reporting these conditions, which seem to reflect extreme economic depression among the Shivwits Nuwuvi, the final committee report announced that "there are no special problems anticipated in connection with the termination of special Federal relations." The report further stated that "the Shivwits Band has requested that the relationship be terminated." No Nuwuvi representative was sent to the hearings, and although several days of hearings were held outside of Washington, D. C, the Nuwuvi were never visited. The only attempts to determine their desires were made at a meeting held by Senator Watkins at Richfield, Utah in December, 1953, with tribal representatives. The Superintendent at Uintah-Ouray, who was nominally in charge of Shivwits, had had some discussion with them. There is no evidence that the Nuwuvi were strongly opposed to ending their Federal relationship, but there is also little evidence that they understood what its implications were. They may have felt that because the federal government provided them with so little, it wouldn't matter if all aid were cut off. There is some evidence that they didn't expect to be responsible for taxes on their land. Congress failed in its responsibility to be sure that the Nuwuvi were ready to be cut off and also agreeable to it, based on full and accurate information. President Eisenhower signed the bill on September 1, 1954. "The Nuwuvi lack of education, their low income, the inept handling of their resources, and the fact that the final termination law (Public Law 83-762) provided that they be given instruction in English and special education to help them earn a livelihood and conduct their own affairs all testify that they were not ready for termination." The final termination date was February 21, 1957. Tribal lands were placed under the control of Walker Bank & Trust Company in Salt Lake City through a three-year trusteeship set up by the Secretary of Interior. The Indians retained subsurface rights for ten |
