FOR RELEASE:  October 7, 1994         CONTACT: Michael L. Baugher
                                                   (303) 231-3162
                                                      or
                                                     John Barclay
                                                   (202) 208-5890

                       TRIBES RECEIVE FUNDING
                 TO HELP MMS AUDIT MINERAL ROYALTIES (#40077)

     Seven American Indian tribes will receive a total of
$1,106,235 as a result of modifications to cooperative agreements
with the U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service
(MMS), agency officials announced today.

     The funding will continue compensation to tribes for assisting
MMS's Royalty Management Program office in conducting audits of
companies producing minerals on lands under the tribes'
jurisdiction.

     MMS routinely contracts with Indian tribes and states for the
auditing services.  "These contracts typify the kind of
partnerships this administration seeks to foster, and helps to
fulfill the trust responsibilities of the Federal Government," said
MMS Acting Director Cynthia Quarterman.  "This kind of activity is
a good example of one of the President's primary goals:  a
government that works better and costs less," she said.

     Tribes which will receive the funds during fiscal 1995 are:

Arapaho Tribes. . . . . $42,172
Blackfeet Nation. . . . $83,753
Navajo Nation . . . . .$624,881Southern Mountain Ute Tribe . . . . . . .$97,385
Ute Indian Tribe. . . . . . . . . . . . $215,543
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. . . . . . . . . .$42,500

     MMS annually collects and distributes more than $150 million
to Indian tribes and individual allotees.

                                -MMS-

Subject: PR-10/7/94 205 payments/Tribes Receive Funding to Help MMS
Audit Mineral Royalties (#40077)