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- The Bursum Bill
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- New Mexico Centennial
An attempt by a New Mexican US Senator to legitimize squatters on Pueblo Indian land is foiled by public outcry.
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Transcript
By the time of statehood, the Pueblo Indians had lost 30% of their best tribal properties to squatters and land speculators. A 1913 court ruling in favor of the Pueblos gave them hope of restoration. But the 3,000 Hispanos and Anglos claiming rights to the lands fought back and tied up the issue in the courts. In 1921, New Mexico’s Albert B. Fall was appointed as Secretary of the Interior and the Pueblos appealed to him for help. So did the squatters. As the Pueblo could not vote, Fall sided with the squatters. He had New Mexico Senator Holm. O. Bursum introduce a bill to allow the squatters to remain. There was also a provision in the bill to deprive the Pueblos of federal water rights protections.
The Pueblos had no idea what was afoot until John Collier, a friend of Mabel Dodge Lujan, brought it to their attention. The All-Pueblo Council was created to defeat the bill and...
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