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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2001

A new television ad campaign being undertaken by Sandia Pueblo of New Mexico will begin running this Sunday and focuses on the tribe's long-standing claim to the west face of the Sandia Mountains.

But the ads don't talk about the legal claim directly. Instead, they focus on the tribe's relationship with the mountain, which is considered sacred, and how they want the area preserved.

In one of his last official acts, former Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt signed off on a legal opinion which said the tribe had been wrongfully denied of 10,000 acres of what is now federal forest land. The opinion is being challenged by Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, both Republicans of New Mexico, who would rather see a settlement on the issue than outright ownership by the Pueblo.

The Pueblo had come to a settlement on the mountain but the pair also objected because they said private landowners and a county government were left out.

Get the Story:
Sandia Mountain Land Dispute Turns to TV Ads (The Albuquerque Journal 7/18)

Relevant Links:
Sandia Pueblo - http://www.sandiapueblo.nsn.us

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