ATTACHMENT No. 6-BLACKFEET

REPORT FOR PART II ON KEY TRACTS ACQUIRED BY THE BLACKFEET TRIBE OR DISPOSED OF TO NON-INDIANS

The Blackfeet Reservation does not contain many tracts that would be classified as key tracts influencing large acreages of Indian lands. Most range units are well watered by running streams, lakes, and potholes year round. The topography is rolling except for the westernmost area reserved to the Blackfeet Tribe as a timber reserve. Accessibility is not key tract factor to any one area.

The Blackfeet Tribe has purchased land scattered throughout the reservation. Since 1953 not many trust purchases have been classed as key; however, there may have been several fee purchases classed by the Blackfeet Tribe as key. We do not have a record of these fee acquisitions.

Tracts classed as key by virtue of their proximity and influence on the use of and access to recreational areas, railroads and highways, and stock-watering facilities are recommended for purchase by the tribe. Limitations in the tribe's constitution and bylaws do conflict with the acquisition of all desirable tracts. There have been 9 tracts representing 1,762.06 acres purchased since July 1, 1953.

Individual Indians negotiate land purchases which they class as key to their operations. These acquisitions are shown on the tabular form, attachment No. 1. An additional 25 tracts covering 4,781 acres have been acquired by Indians through supervised sales. Classification as a key tract would only be to the individual and his operations.

Because the Blackfeet Reservation does not lend itself to a key tract classification, most sales do not become critical for use of adjacent Indian lands.

ATTACHMENT No. 7-BLACKFEET

NARRATIVE REPORT FOR PART III, TRIBAL PARTICIPATION IN REAL ESTATE ACTIVITIES

The

1. The Blackfeet Tribe maintains one full-time land clerk. salary is paid from tribal funds without any Bureau supervision. The salary is $3,600 per year. Duties include taking tribal land committee minutes, typing, filing, and related clerical work pertaining to real estate acquisition, exchange, and leasing.

2. The Blackfeet Agency branch of realty employs 4 full- and 1 part-time tribal employees. Funds are derived from fees collected from services and the Tribal Land Enterprise is entirely self-supporting. Income from tribal land fees is less than the income received from allotted lands. One additional clerk-typist is assigned to land operations to assist with range management activity.

The following positions are employed by the Blackfeet Agency Tribal Land Enterprise:

A. Clerk-typist, comparable to GS-3-3, $3,430 :

(1) Does research work on both surface and mineral titles. (2) Sets up oil and gas lease advertising units.

(3) Develops land status reports for oil and gas leases. (4) Types correspondence and records as required. (5) Posts oil and gas leases to plats, maps, and record cards, and maintains income records for these leases. (6) Acts as receptionist for the oil and gas section. (7) Does photocopy work as required.

(8) Such other duties as may be assigned.

B. Clerk-typist, comparable to GS-2, $3,045:

(1) Types correspondence in connection with land trans

actions.

(2) Preparation of land transaction information sheets. (3) Typing land transactions and preparing various documents needed.

(4) Preparing land status reports in connection with land transactions.

(5) Types requests for appraisals.

(6) Acts as receptionist in land transaction matters.
(7) Maintains record files on land transactions.

(8) Other duties as assigned.

C. Clerk-typist, comparable to GS-2, $2,960:

(1) Types records and reports for records and control, branch of realty (temporary assignment).

Assists the employee in charge of farming and farm-pasture activities:

(1) Types lease contracts and other documents and
correspondence necessary in connection with the leasing
of restricted Indian lands on the reservation.
(2) Maintains lease file records.

(3) Prepares reports required for this activity.
(4) Such other duties as may be assigned.

D. Clerk-typist, comparable to GS-2, $2,960:

(1) Types appraisal reports.

(2) Correspondence in connection with land appraisals. (3) Preparing land status plats as required.

(4) Such other duties as may be assigned.

E. Clerk typist, comparable to GS-3, $3,175:

(1) Performs clerical duties in the Land Operations Branch necessary in connection with the preparation of grazing permits.

(2) Maintains grazing permit files.

(3) Prepares grazing management reports as required. (4) Performs such other duties as may be assigned. F. (Temporary) Clerk-typist, comparable to GS-3, $3,175: Assisting in farm and farm-pasture activities temporarily:

(1) Types leases, contracts, and other documents and correspondence necessary in connection with leasing of restricted Indian lands on the reservation.

(2) Maintains lease file records.

Assists regular personnel in the Acquisition and Disposal Section:

(1) Types correspondence in connection with land transactions.

(2) Typing land transaction and preparing various documents required.

(3) Preparing land status reports in connection with land transactions.

(4) Such other duties as may be assigned.

3. The Blackfeet Tribe employs Cedar B. Aronow, attorney at law, Shelby, Mont., as their tribal attorney. He is available for local counseling, abstract examinations, and opinions, court presentations, and general real-estate advice. Mr. Aronow has assisted the tribe in all their fee purchases, leasing, and other related activities.

4 and 5. The Blackfeet Tribal Council does not maintain a committee with full authority to transact real-estate transactions. They do maintain a council land committee that reviews each case and recommends for final council action. The committee acts on applications for land exchanges with the tribe, land sales, leasing stipulations and rentals, awarding leases, and appraising. Their actions are then presented to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council for final acceptance or rejection.

6. The tribe has employed consultants on a few occasions for particular phases. A geologist was hired for a 4-month period to study oil and gas activities. An engineer was retained to survey for claims presented to the Indian claims commission. The tribe employs an appraiser, a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Council to appraise fee lands the tribe is purchasing or exchanging. As far as is known the appraiser has no formal training in real-estate appraising.

The Bureau has not interfered in any way with the employment practices of the tribe.

7. There has been in operation since 1948, the Blackfeet Tribal Land Enterprise. This organization is financed (payroll, equipment, and supplies) through fees collected from grazing and hay permits. allotted oil and gas leases, farm and farm-pasture leases, and conveyance fees on land sales. The land enterprise is under the supervision of the Blackfeet Tribal Council and superintendent of the Blackfeet Agency, and the land enterprise account is maintained by the finance department. Realty land enterprise personnel are placed in each sec

tion of the branch of realty and are under the direct supervision of the realty officer.

Since all land transactions accomplished deal with Indian trust lands, full review and approval are subject to authorized Bureau personnel.

The effectiveness of the land enterprise has been evidenced by the large volume of land transactions, that is, fee-patent issuance, supervised land sales, negotiated land sales, land exchanges, partitions of land, oil, and gas lease sales, and farm and farm-pasture leases, processed since its incorporation.

Since 1956, three former land enterprise employees have been changed to classified civil-service positions in their respective jobs, with the view of the Department in mind, that sometime in the future all employees in the land enterprise shall be classified employees. The tribal employees shown in question 2 are the employees that have not been converted.

In the past 2 years income has declined for operating the land enterprise. The number of employees each year fluctuates and trained personnel are not assured of continued employment and several have resigned to accept more permanent positions. Further, tribal employees are subject to local pressures that would not be as prevalent if the Tribal Land Enterprise program was terminated in favor of a gratuity appropriation.

8. The tribe and the area office have not been instructed to turn real-estate operations over to the Bureau.

The tribe, independent of this office, process their own land operations as far as fee purchases and exchanges are concerned. All Indian trust lands, whether allotted or tribal, are the responsibility of the Bureau as long as they remain in a restricted status.

Once land is fee patented or otherwise removed from restrictions, the Bureau no longer has, nor assumes any responsibility or supervision over the lands.

The Bureau employs a competent and trained appraiser to appraise lands affected in any type of land transaction; complete title work is done to insure a good and merchantable title to purchasers, and other recipients of lands resulting from land exchanges and partitions; all applications for fee patents and land sales are reviewed by a committee for competency and whether or not it is advisable for the landowner to dispose of his or her trust lands.

Funds from land sales are budgeted with the grantor detailing for what use the proceeds will be expended.

Inasmuch as tribal operations are limited to their purchases and exchanges of fee lands this office cannot comment on the effectiveness of their program. We have noted influences that a political body, such as the Blackfeet Tribal Council, is subject to. In very few instances have the sales or conveyances been consummated without some show of favoritism. The Blackfeet Tribal Council must associate with all members and derives its support from constituents, which does not lend to developing a fair and unbiased land-acquisition program.

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