Navajos Look Ahead

this is Indian country blend of the Navajo in southeastern Utah near the four corners the only point in the US where four states meet wild rugged majestic once a sea bottom now a desert geologists call this the paradox Basin paradox Basin is well named for paradoxically the Navajo is proud of his land despite an age-old struggle to wrest a living from it Calvin Claus G and his uncle Bill Draper Navajo Ranger will tell you that theirs is the largest Indian tribe and this the largest reservation 24,000 square miles a new source of Pride and tribal income is the thriving oil industry on their reservation Kelvin with his uncle on patrol had never before seen an oil well there were none until recent years and four years before that so many dry holes were drilled looking for oil that oilman called this the graveyard [Music] at a drilling rig below white mesa bill and kelvin visit our key browning a drilling and production foreman this is well number seven on navajo oil lease 106 of the carter division of humble oil and refining company we're just in time to see a daily round-trip completed round trip is oilman's lingo for the job of pulling drill pipe changing a worn-out drill bit and returning to the business of making hole we're drilling in shale 1600 feet down and have almost four thousand more feet to go gushers and very shallow oil wells are relics of the past now deep holes have to be drilled with no guarantee of success carter alone spent eight million dollars in ten years and drilled fifteen dry holes before drilling its first producer in the four corners its competitors had similar experience our well is being drilled in an established field that means it will probably find oil a mile straight down initially it should add of almost three hundred barrels a day to our nation's oil production equally important to the Navajos it will increase the tribes income for the benefit of all its people for it is tribal policy to use all natural resources for the long-range good of its people one benefit already realized is the fine San Juan River Bridge it was partially financed with Navajo oil revenues to connect practically isolated areas of the reservation its construction represents tribal state federal and industry cooperation crude oil in the ground benefits no one above-ground in the desert its energy is still unused its transportation to refineries for conversion into useful products is the next step handling that step is the latest thing in oilfield equipment an automatic custody transfer unit through electronic controls it gathers oil and natural gas from nearby wells prepares both for shipment and puts them into separate pipelines the oil and gas are first separated in tall slender towers the gas is piped to a processing plant the oil goes into big tanks each holding 1,500 barrels and then into pipelines to California or the Gulf Coast electronic circuits control the whole process they automatically switch pumps off and on move well production through separators and tanks and keep records of the quantities of oil and gas put into the pipelines at the automatic header which collects oil from 25 wells Archy browning draws off a sample Kelvin's nose proves its crude oil all right the same oil that Indians gathered from Springs in western Pennsylvania over a century ago the wells controlled by this half-million dollar plant can produce 12,000 barrels a day that's enough oil to supply the United States for just about two minutes bill and Calvin will see the Control Board it's in a building oilman call a dog house this complicated electronic panel does everything but think it even writes its own reports whoever said that oil and water do not mix never saw a desert oil field in Utah oil and water constantly work together this water hole for example was drilled by oilman to supply an exploratory test well no oil was found but the water well was given to the Navajos who heard sheep and goats for a living the stock tank and trough were added by the tribe [Music] both Calvin and Bill are experienced campers bill served overseas with the Armed Forces Calvin is a Boy Scout at their campsite beside the San Juan Calvin in all of his 12 years has never been so far from home Calvin's home is in Window Rock Arizona capital of the Navajo Nation and colorful tourist resort Window Rock named for its curious rock formation has breathtaking scenery it is the center of government and culture for the 85,000 Navajos it is also navajo headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs protective agency for all American Indians but the Navajos with income from oil and other resources are gradually becoming self-sufficient they elect their own leaders in a Council of 74 representatives who make laws and control tribal funds typical executives under Navajo chairman Paul Jones and vice-chairman Scott Preston are these two young administrators J Morris McCabe is executive secretary to the tribe a member of the school board and a driving force for Navajo progress Manuel Begay legislative secretary dedicates his career to tribal law and representative government now the whole council Hall seat of government and the place where the big search for oil really begins here the tribe by competitive bids has leased over 2 million acres of land to oil companies for exploration here it also negotiates payment for every barrel of Navajo oil produced a tourist attraction is the window rock itself Kelvin frequently climbs to the top [Music] his vantage point provides majestic views and almost a picture window on his present and future spread out below are the places and people working for him today all around is the land of his future beneath its soil and in its forests are the resources of a better life his tribe is seeking to lead its march of progress tribal leaders are wisely concentrating on education with federal state and religious educators the Navajos are successfully fighting illiteracy scarcely ten years ago only about half the Navajo children attended school now attendance is nearly 95% Calvin attends a fine public school and later on he'll have an opportunity for college on a tribal scholarship [Music] the annual Navajo tribal Fair has all the sights sounds and spicy aromas of every Country Fair [Music] even Marshall music Navajo style [Music] a lasting monument to wise tribal spending is the Civic Center at Window Rock it was built with the Navajos income from oil at fair time it's the exhibit hall throughout the year it presents movies concerts and sports events for all now it's rich with the world-famous Navajo handicrafts and artwork and well supplied with information about tribal health and vocational assistance available to the Navajos [Music] a short bike hop away it's Calvin's home and a comfortable tribal housing project sister Patty is just 18 months old his mother is a telephone operator at Navajo headquarters his father guy clusky is employed at the tribes power plant [Music] next morning Calvin and Bill resumed their patrol ranger duties frequently keep bill away overnight for provisions there's the Trading Post of mr. and mrs. Elisha Blair Tanith Utah theirs is one of several hundred Navajo trading posts licensed by the federal government trading posts are the marketplaces for handy work such as the valuable turquoise jewelry made by the Navajos jewelry worn by men and women serves as the family bank account it is frequently pledged for credit in the store and redeemed over and over again but traders are more than store keepers they are also the advisors and Friends of the Navajos each trading post is a modern remnant of the general store familiar to our grandparents [Music] Blair's trading post a school and the Navajo chapter house make up the village of Anna the new chapter house financed with tribal oil money is one of 98 meeting places on the reservation heading southward to the San Juan Basin our travelers visit another tribal oilfield at chimney rock New Mexico humble has an agreement with the Navajos to produce oil here production superintendent edy Wolcott is in charge the drilling program has been completed here and humble has 40 wells at work each delivering about 40 barrels a day it also goes by pipeline to the West Coast for refining Calvin goes aloft for the view from atop a thousand barrel storage tanks his vantage point might easily give a symbolic view of a brighter future for it shows a land awakened a land blessed with oil and with uranium coal and timber equally important are the energies of his people the ambitions of his leaders and their progressive spirit tribal chairman Paul Jones summed it up recently in a report to the council a fresh wind is blowing across our reservation he said it's the wind of progress for our people kelvins people and generations yet to come will reap that wind of progress [Music] [Applause]