OCR Text |
Show sites are low. Its highest public use would propably be in furnishing grazing land to the settlers' of Blanding. 7. Settlements: Allen Canyon particularly and Hammond, Cottonwood, and Dry V. ash Canyons in part have been occupied by a small band of renegade Piute Indians for at least seventy y.; urs. The number nf this band have fluctuated between forty and eighty persons. These Indians have generally been under tho control, to a certain extent, of one of their number known as ^ ancos Jim. He is now an old, docrepit, sick man and since falling into- his decline occasioned by old age the band has split up into several factions which have been led by different petty chiefs, foremost of which has been Posey of recent notriety, who is now dead. 8. Agricultural. ( a) These Indians have laid claim to small tracts along: the nection with a fow head of sheep, goats and horses ( b) Approximately eight sections ££ land have allotted to this band of Indians for grazing purp9ses since the creation of the La Sal national Forest. This has served as range for their ponies, sheep and goats. On account of the continuous year- long use of this area it io c ecidedly over grazed. Llost of the valuable grasses and weeds having dissapeared, being supplanted sdmtk by browse and worthless annual weeds. ( c) lumbering etc. V. ith the xception of the limited agricultural activities and grazing no other industries have been caarned on. 9. Transportation. Roads and frail3. rack trails have been the only means of travel in this section until recently it appears that the field* ofiicer3 of the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been so confident of the elimination of this area that they have constructed a road to a point at the confluence of Hammond, Cottonwood, Allen and Dry Wash Canyons, passable to automobiles. Travel of this nature would be via Blanding. Pack trails have existed in each of tho four canyons mentioned for an indefinate period. Hammond Canyon rims up toward the head, while the other three may be followed out unto the higher country. Cross- country travol is out of the question except by the air route, duo to the box- like formation of the canyon walls. 10. Public ^ ontimont " l t h the oxcoption of a few individuals who understand |