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relationship between the United States and the tribes and invites 

 state interference in the internal affairs of the tribes. 

 We further highlight our concern that the use of these funds 

 requires that a tribe allow public hunting on its reservation. 

 Much of our Reservation is open to off-reservation hunters and 

 anglers, but not all of it. At least one tribe we know of has 

 closed its entire reservation to public hunting. The Federal 

 obligation to tribes respecting the protection and management of 

 their trust resources must not be put at the sufferance of state 

 governments and of f -reservation hunters and fishers. 



We believe the primary source of Federal funds for tribal 

 wildlife management should be the same source that provides funds 

 for other Federal land management agencies--appropriated funds 

 from the Treasury. 



In conclusion, the San Carlos Apache Tribe requests that 

 legislation be enacted to establish funding standards which are 

 not less than those of other Federal land management agencies 

 with comparable land and wildlife resources and that such funds 

 be available to a tribe without regard to whether or not the 

 reservation is open, closed, or partly closed to public use or 

 the hunting of, or fishing for, certain species is prohibited. 



Your interest in this vitally important issue and your long- 

 standing commitment to a better day for Indian tribes are deeply 

 appreciated . 



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