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<br />4212 <br /> <br />when 1t comes to Indian/WhHe relatIons. <br /> <br />Racist bumper stIckers <br /> <br />abound. <br /> <br />There have even been shootings. <br /> <br />There have been <br /> <br />jurisdIctional tests not just over the fishIng rights lHlgatlon but <br /> <br />over state servIces, crImInal jurIsdIctIon, water rIghts, and taxatIon. <br /> <br />There Is a better way. It Is the kInd of thIng that Susan <br /> <br />Fry was talkIng about -- negotIatIon. We need to fInd a mechanIsm for <br /> <br /> <br />negotIatIon of our IndIan water rIghts claIms. I would lIke to quote <br /> <br />from Governor Lamm's State of the State address thIs year: <br /> <br />Colorado must resolve the water rIghts claIms of Hs two <br />IndIan trIbes. I am askIng the Attorney General and the <br />Department of Natural Resources to explore efforts to <br />reach a fal r and just settlement of the IndIan water <br />rights claims to avoId years of costly lHigatlon and the <br />bHterness H would cause wHh our Indian cHi zens. I am <br />proud of the amicable relations that exist between Colorado <br />and its Indian cItIzens and I intend to maintaIn them. <br /> <br />We should approach the Issue of IndIan water claIms as a <br />water oroblem, not simply a legal problem. The legal problem Is only <br /> <br />incIdental. The water problem 1s how to meet the present and future <br /> <br />needs of Southwest Colorado. Is there a way. to meet those water <br /> <br />needs given avaIlable supplies? What are the regIon's foreseeable <br /> <br />needs for anticIpated growth. for some additonal farmIng on the <br /> <br />Southern Ute ReservatIon, for possIble coal development on the Ute <br /> <br />MountaIn ReservatIon when the market demands, a new Industry or two In <br /> <br />the area? <br /> <br />- 7 - <br />