0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 29
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           NICK L. SALAZAR
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH TO SET ASIDE TWO
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0012|     ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP HUNTING LICENSES PER YEAR FOR THE
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0013|     PUEBLO OF PICURIS SO THAT THE PUEBLO CAN CONTINUE ITS
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0014|     TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES.
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0015|     
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0016|          WHEREAS, the ancestors of the members of the pueblo of
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0017|     Picuris hunted bighorn sheep for many centuries in the area
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0018|     now designated as the Pecos wilderness; and
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0019|          WHEREAS, the Rocky mountain bighorn sheep remained
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0020|     plentiful until domestic sheep diseases and overhunting by
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0021|     game hunters depleted the herds to extinction; and
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0022|          WHEREAS, the Rocky mountain bighorn sheep has been a
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0023|     sacred animal to the Picuris people and holds great spiritual
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0024|     significance for them; and
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0025|          WHEREAS, the people of the pueblo of Picuris annually
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0001|     honor the Rocky mountain bighorn sheep and other animals of
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0002|     mother earth by performing the bighorn sheep dance; and
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0003|          WHEREAS, out-of-state game hunters vie with New Mexicans
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0004|     for the expensive licenses to hunt Rocky mountain bighorn
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0005|     sheep; and
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0006|          WHEREAS, federal case law permits Indian tribes to hunt
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0007|     without fee or license in areas that were the traditional
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0008|     hunting grounds of the tribe, but the pueblo chooses to work
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0009|     out an equitable arrangement with the state; and
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0010|          WHEREAS, the population of Rocky mountain bighorn sheep
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0011|     is increasing, and the department of game and fish has
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0012|     increased the number of licenses to be made available for the
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0013|     1998 hunt in the Pecos wilderness from five to eight; and
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0014|          WHEREAS, providing a solution to the request of the
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0015|     pueblo of Picuris at this time would not result in lost
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0016|     revenue to the state from license fees already being realized;
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0017|     and
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0018|          WHEREAS, disease and overhunting also eliminated a herd
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0019|     of Rocky mountain bighorn sheep in White Rock canyon, and now
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0020|     the department of game and fish and the pueblo of San
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0021|     Ildefonso are working together to develop a new herd in that
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0022|     canyon; and 
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0023|          WHEREAS, now would be a good time to develop through
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0024|     government-to-government negotiations between the pueblo of
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0025|     Picuris and the department of game and fish a process that
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0001|     would allow the pueblo of Picuris to again hunt in their
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0002|     traditional hunting grounds in the Pecos wilderness;
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0003|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0004|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it request the department of game and
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0005|     fish to enter into negotiations with representatives of the
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0006|     pueblo of Picuris and come to an agreement on how to satisfy
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0007|     the traditional needs of that pueblo for Rocky mountain
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0008|     bighorn sheep before licenses are issued for the 1998 Rocky
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0009|     Mountain bighorn sheep hunt; and
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0010|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0011|     distributed to the governor of New Mexico, the governor of the
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0012|     pueblo of Picuris, the director of the department of game and
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0013|     fish and the chairman of the state game commission.
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0014|                                - 3 -
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