This newspaper article describes an educational event held by Apache leaders in Arizona to help college students learn more about tribal water issues. The students were addressed by William Veeder, a veteran attorney defending Apache rights to the headwaters of the Salt River in state and federal courts. The article describes the lawyer's address, which dealt with the value of the White Mountain Apache reservation and federal opposition to the tribe's control over the land and water. Veeder discussed the history of the reservation and the 1903 approval for the Salt River Reclamation Project by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The development project was undertaken with the idea that the Apache did not have rights to the reservation water, according to Veeder, who dubbed the project "a well-laid plan to put you out of existence." The federal Bureau of Reclamation built dams to control water flow on the reservation. Federal courts have ruled that the decision on water rights belongs in state court but Veeder points out that U.S. attorneys who represent the Department of the Interior would also have the responsibility of defending Apache claims on the state level, an apparent conflict of interest. Veeder is quoted as speaking out generally against the federal government's power over Indian affairs. The article also describes the circumstances surrounding Veeder's personal decision to defend Indian rights. The 80-year-old attorney had worked for the U.S. Justice Department for 20 years before deciding to "pull out." (TES)