Washington : Government Printing Office
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| Public Law 86-636 | Indians, Navajo Tribe. Transfer of irrigation project works. |
| Public Law 86-636 | Exception. |
| Sec. 2 | Personnel. |
| Sec. 4 | Tax exemption. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to transfer to the Navajo Tribe all of the right, title, and interest of the United States to any irrigation project works, except the Reservoir Canyon and Moencopi Tuba project works, constructed or under construction by the United States within the Navajo Reservation prior to the date of approval of this Act, including machinery, equipment, tools, supplies, buildings, facilities, and improvements which are usable for the care, operation, and maintenance of such works and which are not needed for the continued efficient operation of the irrigation construction program within the Navajo Reservation: Provided, That no such transfer shall be made without the prior approval of the Navajo Tribe: Provided further, That the exclusion of Reservoir Canyon and Moencopi Tuba project works from the scope of this Act shall not be construed to affect in any way present ownership of or rights to use the land and water thereof.
Prior to or at the time of each such transfer, the Secretary and the chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council shall agree on the number of Department of the Interior personnel who, shall be provided by the Secretary to train tribal personnel and to assist in operating irrigation project works transferred to the tribe until such time as tribal personnel are trained and qualified to assume full responsibility or any such irrigation project works. The Secretary and the chairman shall also agree on the time during which such Department personnel shall be provided. The cost of their employment shall be paid by the tribe.
The transfer to the Navajo Tribe pursuant to this Act of any irrigation project works located in whole or in part within the boundaries of the reservation established by executive order dated December 16, 1882, for the use and occupancy of the Moqui (Hopi) and such other Indians as the Secretary of the Interior may see fit to settle thereon shall not be construed to affect in any way the merits of the conflicting claims of the Navajo and the Hopi Indians to the use or ownership of the lands within said 1882 reservation.
The irrigation project works transferred to the tribe pursuant to this Act and the land on which such works are located, shall be subject to no restriction on use, management, or disposition because of Indian ownership, but any such lands and project works and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all forms of taxation as long as, but no longer than, such lands and irrigation project works remain in the ownership of the Navajo Tribe or in the ownership of a legal entity controlled by the Navajo Tribe or its membership, unless otherwise provided by Congress.
Approved, July 12, 1960.
