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DEFINING BORDERS
In the article
by Laura Paskus [Cover story, Oct. 11], the author makes a significant error in describing the location of four proposed in situ uranium operations. The author states several times that the sites "lie within the external boundaries of the [Navajo] reservation," and therefore the State of New Mexico is asserting jurisdiction within the reservation. These sites are not within the formal boundaries of the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the state is not claiming jurisdiction within the formal reservation.
The State of New Mexico believes strongly in tribal sovereignty and has worked hard to build strong government-to-government relationships with the Navajo Nation and all of New Mexico's tribes and pueblos. This has included signing an executive order mandating standards for tribal consultation on state decisions that are among the strongest in the country.
I believe Ms. Paskus' mistake stems from a common confusion between what constitutes formal tribal boundaries and what is legally considered "Indian country." These are not mere words, they are legally defined terms with major implications in a court of law.
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department does not and would never assert jurisdiction over lands formally considered part of the Navajo Indian Reservation. The sites mentioned in the article are on land of varying surface and mineral ownership outside the reservation boundaries. In the Church Rock site discussed in the article, the State of New Mexico is asserting jurisdiction over a portion of the site where both the surface and mineral estates are privately owned.
I hope this letter clarifies an important point about EMNRD's respect for our tribal neighbors.
Bill Brancard
Division Director
Mining and Minerals Division
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
Santa Fe
SWEET DISSENT
Stephen Fox, beyond his paranoid and delusional ramblings [Letters, Oct. 4:
], is wrong. Project Censored's 11th most censored story is NOT about aspartame. It is about genetically modified foods. No mention whatsoever is made of aspartame or any other sugar substitute. And just as he is wrong about a story that is easily googled, he is wrong about every aspect of the scientific research that has conclusively proven that aspartame is completely safe for human consumption.
Armando Gutierrez
Albuquerque
LOW FIVE
The reporter who wrote
[Cover story, Oct. 4] missed me when he did his man-on-the-street interviews. Allow me to gnash my teeth over Santa Fe's worst five local laws: 1) Serving beer to 19-year-olds should not get waiters arrested and cause bars to lose their liquor licenses. 2) Smoking in a private establishment is none of the government's business, regardless of secondhand smoke. 3) The living wage is communism. Let the labor market determine the price of labor. If they can't afford life, let them move somewhere else. 4) The city should admit that it cannot build and operate a convention center, sell the land to the highest bidder, then use the proceeds to subsidize a giant tax cut. 5) The Spaceport is a gigantic waste of taxpayer money that destroys huge areas of pristine land.
Elias Martinez
Santa Fe
VIOLENCE ISN'T COOL
I am an eighth-grade teacher at Ortiz Middle School. I was extremely horrified and upset when I heard the news of a former student from OMS who was jumped by four southside men. I am outraged that the police have come up with no leads when I have heard rumors that my own students have information regarding who did this. To my knowledge the police have not come here to question anyone who may have information in this case.
I applaud Kendra J Loring for her heartfelt story
[Reader, Sept. 27] and read it aloud to my students, many of whom are personal friends with "Joey" and are happy to hear he is out of the hospital and doing better. It is a tragedy that more media have not jumped on this terrible incident, and I thank you for running the story. My students thank you and are hoping these "men" are caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
I moved here three years ago, from LA, and am disgusted at the rising signs of gangs all over this town. The tagging on the bike path and parks is at an all-time high since I moved here, and the gang affiliation of my students seems to be rising (though most are not affiliated).
In this day and age, when gangsta rap has made it "cool" to be a gangsta, it is difficult to connect kids to stellar role models, especially when many parents are working more than one job and may not speak the language to even be able to monitor what their kids are exposed to. When does it become the responsibility of society when the family isn't doing it anymore? I am a 10-year veteran teacher and am sad to see "the city different" becoming a statistic.
Please continue to run stories that expose what many media outlets are not. Also, know that I have way more excellent students than ones who make poor decisions, and I love working at OMS! Please pass along our thanks to Kendra and update me on any further developments in this case. We want them caught!
Elizabeth Bolla
Santa Fe
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