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<br />44 <br /> <br />Yet, in 1970 hearings on the issue of amending the NIIP act to change the precise <br />boundaries of the project and to increase the appropriation ceiling, Aspinall spent <br />considerable time asking then Tribal Chair Raymond Nakai if the Navajo were <br />limiting their Winters claims to NlIP. He asked Nakai, "Are you folles going to be <br />satisfied with the allocation of water that has been decided by the compacts ... [o]r <br />are you going to be, later-on, [sic] relying upon the so-called Winters doctrine which <br />would presumably gain you ... more if you carried it to the fullest extent?"114 <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />When Nakai demurred, saying that he was "not a water expert," Aspinall pressed more <br /> <br /> <br />forcefully. He said that he was "just a little bit hesitant about giving my support to a <br /> <br /> <br />project that means so much to you" when ''you might take water from the State of <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado or the State of Utah or the State of Wyoming.',1t5 He went on to say, . <br /> <br />~: i <br /> <br />.,. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />I don't think you can get any more [water] out of New Mexico. You might be <br />able to, I don't know. But in the State of Wyoming, where the water is not yet <br />put to use and has not been committed, if your tribe wishes to proceed under <br />the doctrine set forth in that Winters case, we are in for a lot of trouble.116 <br /> <br />'- <br /> <br />~ :: <br /> <br />Nakai eventually, under pressure, said that the tribe would "take the water that we <br /> <br /> <br />can use for the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project.',117 But this statement appears to be <br /> <br />'-:: <br /> <br />114House Hearimr 1970. ~ note 69 at 37 (exchange between Rep. Wayne Aspinall <br />of Colorado and Raymond Nakai, Chair of Navajo Tribal Council). <br /> <br />115Id. at 38. <br /> <br />116Id. <br /> <br />117Id. <br />