ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a synopsis of the research findings of a social assessment undertaken in conjunction with a proposed project by the US Bureau of Reclamation on the Zuni Indian Reservation in New Mexico. The Zuni Pueblo is nestled between a pine-topped mountain range and spectacular mesas in the northwestern corner of New Mexico. Both individually and collectively, the analyses contain significant insight regarding the way the Zuni people interpret the social impacts of the proposed project. The memo stressed the importance of responding on the enclosed response sheet in order to promote safety and set priorities for the future of Zuni. Under the direction and guidance of the Zuni Tribal Council, a rather thorough questionnaire of community needs was conducted in 1979. In summary, from the Zuni door-to-door survey question which pertained to Yellowhouse Dam, 1,084 comments were compiled. The channelization alternative is viewed as less socially advantageous than the Yellowhouse Dam alternative.
