New Mexico Senator Maloof Opts to Preserve Petroglyphs Story-Date: 12:54 p.m. PST Sunday , November 1, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------ New Mexico Senator Maloof Opts to Preserve Petroglyphs By Leta Rector, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 2--ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--State Sen. Phil Maloof did an about face, reversing a previous stand on building a road through sacred petroglyphs. "Building a road through the petroglyphs would be like building a road through a church," Maloof said to a conference of Indian leaders in early October. He had requested a meeting with the leaders privately the night before. Maloof said the road would cost upward of $42 million and he will look for alternative solutions. The proposed road was a popular solution for much-needed expansion on Albuquerque's west side, which lies in Maloof's present district. "The city of Rome would not build a road through the Vatican," Sam English, a director of the Albuquerque Indian Center, said. "The Jews or Arabs would not build a road through the Temple in Jerusalem. The Mormons would not build a road through the Temple at Salt Lake. But for some reason in Albuquerque, Indigenous people have not had their voices heard." Ms. Terrill Muller, legislative Analyst of the All-Indian Pueblo Council thanked Sen. Maloof for changing his position. "It's not a political thing to us. It's not a plaything to us," said Bill Weakhee, Zuni/Cochiti Pueblo, federal commissioner to the Petroglyph National Monument. Joe Sando, a member of the Albuquerque Commission on Indian Affairs, took issue with the contention that Indians should have to prove that this was a sacred site. "It's the other side that has to prove that these are not sacred sites," he said. Weakhee told the crowd that the characters on the petroglyphs are believed to be the protectors of the Valley in Albuquerque where they stand. He pointed out that the Valley never has any tornados or floods. Barney Botone, chairman of the Indian affairs commission, told the crowd, "Phil Maloof approached the Indian leadership some time ago. No other candidates have sought out urban Indians. This is significant that this leader is looking at all ends. We, as Indian people, have sought him out to be our leader." "So many people come to New Mexico to see the petroglyphs," Maloof said. "I'll be behind you 100 percent on this issue." Maloof, a Democrat, is running for New Mexico's First U.S. Congressional District seat against incumbent Republican Heather Wilson. He says he recognizes the importance of American Indians to his state. "Native American contributions to commerce, labor, architecture, and pageantry play a major role in defining New Mexico today," he said. "Our New Mexico economy is fueled in large part by a tourism industry strongly driven by the sales of Indian arts and crafts and the rich culture Indians give to the area." Maloof is an Albuquerque native. He was graduated from Albuquerque High School and earned a bachelor's degree from University of New Mexico. He was elected to the New Mexico Senate in 1996. Maloof says he has always worked closely with tribal leaders and his American Indian colleagues in the New Mexico Legislature on tribal concerns. He voted in favor of Indian gaming compacts, enabling them to operate legally. He voted to support tribal economic activity by upholding the federal policy of not having to pay state taxes for tribal economic activities on tribal lands. He voted to maintain exemptions for tribal gasoline distribution activities. He supported the negotiated agreement between the Pueblo of Santa Clara and the City of Espanola to split gross receipts taxes collected on economic activities in their shared jurisdictional area. Maloof was the first state legislator in the country to sponsor and pass a companion measure to the federal "Three Strikes, You're Out." He also sponsored a law requiring life imprisonment for anyone convicted of two first- or second-degree felony rapes. "Sen. Maloof's `Three Strikes' and `Two Strikes' You're Out, prove that there is no legislator more committed to reducing crime and fighting for the safety of your family and our community,"said Republican District Attorney Bob Schwartz. Maloof was for reauthorizing the Brady Bill Gun Law and for keeping the ban on assault weapons. "Anyone who claims to be serious about fighting crime in this city has be for these life-saving measures," he said. Maloof says he supports negotiations to find a `win-win' solution to the Sandia Pueblo's efforts to transfer responsibility for the western face of the Sandia Mountains from the U.S. Forest Service to the U.S. Department of the Interior. He met with Sandia Gov. Alex Lujan to discuss the recent court decision in favor of the Pueblo. The decision has been appealed. "We need to be sure it goes into mediation and doesn't get tied up in court" he said. Maloof pledged to: honor, respect, and preserve the integrity of tribal sovereignty. "I oppose all attempts to diminish tribal sovereignty. I commit to hold an annual legislative forum on tribal government issues. I will join the Native American Congressional Caucus. He said child safety is a major concern in Indian Country as for all New Mexicans. "We must insist on a zero tolerance policy for guns and violence in schools because kids can't learn if they aren't safe. I will push for legislation to require comprehensive backgrounds checks of all child care workers and tougher penalties for criminals who prey on kids. "I support adequate funding for Indian education programs at all levels, I support a new allocation formula to benefit school districts that create impact aid and sufficient funding to maintain and improve BIA schools. "I will work to ensure urban and tribal Indians have access to affordable quality health care. I support upgrading the position of the director of the Indian Health Services to the level of assistant secretary. "I will work to help reverse the tide of family disintegration, a process stimulated by many federal policies. I will seek support for prevention and recovery programs to provide a secure environment for people to transition to healthier lifestyles. "I will advocate for a full year of funding for Census 2000 in Fiscal Year 2000. This will ensure that Native Americans are not undercounted. I will work to help foster economic development and job creation. Tribal economic development is a priority. I support expansion of Urban Enterprise Communities to encourage Native American business development both in Albuquerque and on tribal communities. I will support legislative initiatives to streamline tribal job training programs and the creation of the federal task force on regulatory reform and business development to analyze existing law and regulations that restrain business and economic development on Indian lands. "I oppose legislative efforts to eliminate tribal sovereignty from tort claims. "I will work to provide support for both tribal and non-tribal efforts to strengthen environmental protections. The environment is sacred -- land and resources must be used wisely and preserved for future generations. " And I will fight to clean up toxic waste sites and make polluters pay for putting our health at risk." ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ (c) 1998, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------