The Roswell Daily Record from Roswell, New Mexico • Page 14

state Roswell (N.M.) Daily Record Thursday, January 25,1979 14 Watchman insensitivity fo Indians SANTA FE (AP) Rep. Leo Watchman the only native-American member of the New Mexico House, has resigned from the Legislature, effective Friday. Watchman, a Democrat who represents a constituency composed mostly of Navajo Indians in San Juan and McKinley counties, announced his resignation Wednesday in a final speech in the House chamber. He criticized the new House leadership for being insensitive to the needs of New Mexico's Indian citizens. At mid-afternoon Wednesday he delivered a formal letter of resignation to Secretary of State Shirley Hooper.

He told Mrs. Hooper he was resigning for personal reasons, effective Friday. Jan. 26. Watchman said his treatment by the new leadership, headed by Rep.

C. Gene Samberson. D-Lea, was a factor in his decision to resign the House seat he has held since 1971. There also were business and family considerations, he said. Watchman praised former House Speaker Walter Martinez of Grants for the consideration given in his providing effective representation for the Navajos and all New Mexico Indians.

"I guess the main reason I resigned was I've had some personal obligations and commitments." Watchman said. "What really capped my decision was what happened last week, with 11 so-called Democrats taking the leadership away from Walter Martinez, "he said. "The trust and admiration I had for these individuals has been de- stroyed," Watchman said. "They have taken away, in my opinion, the Indian people's symbol in the House of Representatives." Speaker Samberson removed Watchman last week as a member of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and transferred him to the Judiciary Committee. Watchman had been vice chairman of the Voters and Elections Committee, but was demoted to being a member of the committee.

Samberson said early this week, after Watchman announced his intention to resign, that he believed Watchman could do a more effective job of representing the Indian people as a member of the Judiciary Committee. Samberson pointed out that several bills concerning stale-Indian relations will be introduced in the Legislature, and will be considered by the House Judidiary Committee. "He never discussed this with me before." Watchman said Wednesday when told of Samberson's comments. "It's kind of late now." Watchman said last Saturday when he publicly announced his intention to resign, that he hoped to have a voice in the selection of his successor. He said Wednesday he has high hopes this will be Reginald Begay.

a Navajo from Tohatchi. Watchman said he met Tuesday with the McKinley County Commission and with the county Democratic Central Committee concerning the appointment of Begay. He has not yet had a chance to meet with the San Juan County Commission, he said. Since Watchman serves from a multi-county district. Gov.

Bruce King will appoint his successor. State law provides for the county commissions of the two counties each to nominate a successor. The governor must make his appointment from the names submitted by the county commissions. "The McKinley County Commission is going to honor my request and go with my recommendation, as I understand it." Watchman said. He also said he met Wednesday with Gov.

Bruce King concerning the appointment. "Gov. King assured me he would work with me and I'm pretty sure he will go along with my recommendation." Watchman said. He said Begay. a Democrat, is director of a school for the handicapped at Tohatchi.

He has a master's degree in public health administration and "I believe he taught at the University of New COUPON KID IN TOWN! After 5 successful yeors in Colorado Wyoming, we are expanding to the Garden Spot of New Mexico ROSWELL! INTRODUCTORY CLEANING SPECIAL: $12.50 per room 3 rooms $30 $35.00 couch chair cleaned. GRAHAM'S CLEANERS 624-0090 LIMITED TIME ONLY COUPON Drafted for research Unlfax llphofo University of New Mexico researcher Heather Murray holds two small primates known as "bush babies." She is studying the animals, which leap instead of walk, in hopes that the information can be applied to clinical problems in humans. SAVE on a delicious Nestle treat Nestle MIX Mexico for awhile," Watchman said. Begay was Raymond Nakai's running mate in last year's election for chairman of the Navajo Tribe. Watchman said.

Nakai, a former tribal chairman, was defeated by Peter MacDonald. who was elected to an unprecedented third term. Watchman is director of administration for the Navajo Health Authority. He said his service in the Legislature has taken a great deal of time away from his job. He also said he has commitments to his family that must be met.

"I'm very serious about my commitments to my said. NM roundup Watchman said when he first came to the Legislature his oldest son was six years old. Now he is 16, he said, and he has three other children, aged 14.13 and 11. "This is the most important time in their lives and they need attention from both parents. Watchman continued to express bitterness over his treatment by the Samberson coalition.

"I worked to years to reach the position I held, and then had it yanked away." he said. "In my opinion the Indian people have lost the real role of responsibility I held. "Under Walter Martinez' leadership, I had that type of cooperation needed for a man in my position to serve effectively." he said. Energy projects receive funding ALBUQUERQUE (AP) Two state institutions have federal money to study the environmental effects of geothermal energy development in New Mexico. The U.S.

Department of Energy awarded $50.000 to the New Mexico Energy Institute and the New Mexico Environmental Institute to evaluate data on seven environmental issues raised by ongoing or proposed projects. U.S. Sen. Harrison Schmitt. announced Wednesday.

Geothermal heat from hot, dry rock and ground water is abundant enough in New Mexico to have a major effect on how heat and electricity are produced, said Schmitt in a news release. The Environmental Institute is to hold workshops with participants from government, private interests and universities to assist in identifying possible problems and solutions. Heat-flow studies indicate that up to 74 percent of the state's population lives in areas where geothermal energy could have a direct impact on energy distribution and production patterns. A geothermal project under way in the Jemez Mountains in the northern part of the state is scheduled to start producing electricity in 1982. Researcher nuclear waste value ALBUQUERQUE (AP) An employee of Sandia Laboratories says he is convinced about the benefits of nuclear power and refers to radioactive waste as a resource of the future.

Dr. Gilbert Cano was joined Wednesday by Dr. Terry Lash of the Natural Resources Defense Council at an energy conference sponsored by the University of New Mexico campus ministers and the New Mexico Inter- Church Agency. Lash told the group that the disadvantages of nuclear power have convinced him the nation should not pursue it, but stick with the 160 to 200 nuclear plants now operating or planned. He said a national phase-out would eliminate the problem of reprocessing nuclear by-products.

Lash said the nation's nuclear program should be reduced to simple research rather than costly research and development. He advocated the use of renewable resources, such as solar energy. "Society as a whole would be more involved in energy decisions," he said. Cano said nuclear power is necessary because the United States is running out of oil and gas. He said the 160 to 200 reactors referred to by Lash will take care of half the nation's oil needs.

Cano dismissed solar energy as an option, saying it would take 50 square miles of solar mirrors to build a generating station. Judge blasts prison overcrowding ALBUQUERQUE (AP) U.S. District Judge Santiago Campos is considering a motion that could lead to the transfer or release of a hundred or more state penitentiary inmates. The motion arises from an inmate- filed lawsuit claiming overcrowding at the prison near Santa Fe has created "grossly substandard and inhumane conditions." The National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, acting for the inmates' class action suit, is seeking a preliminary injuction to end overcrowding immediately. The case began in 1977, when three inmates sought a court-ordered limit on the number of prisoners at the penitentiary.

The ACLU joined the suit last July. At the time of a hearing in December before Campos, there were 1,045 prisoners at the facility. Prison officials said 40 of these are women who are scheduled to be moved from the prison this month. At the hearing. Corrections Secretary Ed Mahr said the original design capacity of the prison was 850 inmates.

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