Controversy over the naming of the new microbiology building at UT for Jim Bob Moffett continues. The current Texas Observer quotes the executive director of a tribal council in Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, as giving a markedly different account than Jim Bob Moffett gave of Moffett's meeting March 14 with leaders of several tribes. Jim Bob told the New Orleans Times-Picayune "outside agitators" caused the riots by 3,000-plus tribes people last month that killed at least four persons, caused extensive damage and shut down Freeport McMoRan's gold-silver-copper mine for two days. Moffett said he told them the two tribes benefiting from the mine never before indicated a willingness to share those benefits with other tribes. He said he is willing to consider a different response after the protests. But Andreas Anggaibak, executive director of LEMASA, the Amungme Tribal Council, told a different version of the March 14 meeting. He says Moffett wept and said he would "turn the other cheek" in trying to accommodate the protesters even though Freeport's mine got shut down. Gee, that's awfully big of Moffett, to assume the aggrieved role and turn the other cheek after his company lopped off the top of the tribes' sacred mountain. Or should we use the old segregationists' phrase, "That's awfully white of Moffett," since these are dark-skinned people Moffett is dealing with. Anggaibak said Mama Yosepha, a woman the Indonesian military shoved into a Freeport container last year, gave this response to Moffett's crocodile-tear performance: "My son Moffett, in the past I put you inside my noken [a native woven bag used by Amungme women to carry infants]. I took you with me wherever I went, but I did not realize that you actually suck my blood until it's all drained, and I remain only bones without flesh. Now, I pick you out of my noken and will throw you far away." Moffett promised to respond within 30 days to their demands that other tribes get more of the jobs and better economic conditions. He then asked Mama Yosepha if he could be "put back inside your noken again." She said, "If you promise to fulfill our demands, written on paper, then I will put you inside my noken again."

Accompanied by a modest body guard of more than 2,000 Indonesian soldiers and six government helicopters circling noisily and menacingly overhead during the meeting, Moffett conferred with tribal leaders April 12 (April 13 American time). Freeport McMoRan owns 82 percent of the mine, which has estimated reserves, mainly in gold, of 50 billion dollars. Moffett agreed to an environmental audit, a possible cleanup, more jobs for area villagers and 1 percent of Freeport's annual gross profit from the mine -- $17 million (which means the gross profit is $1.7 billion.

Here's an analogy that brings home what's happening to the tribes. Suppose the U.S. government granted mining rights in Yellowstone National Park (owned by all Americans) to a giant foreign corporation after discovery of an outrageously rich vein of gold. The corporation ravages the area around Old Faithful and grinds off the top third of one of the beautiful mountains in the park. Americans riot and get the corporation CEO to give back 1 percent of the Fort Knox his firm is taking out of Yellowstone. Further, the CEO agrees to an environment audit (a report card), more jobs for Americans (whatever "more" means to the corporation) and a "possible" cleanup. Could we turn down a deal that sweet?

Meanwhile, chancellor "Dollar Bill" Cunningham has exercised stock options acquired during his $40,000-a-year service as a director on Freeport's board to make a $650,000 profit this month. Freeport also will pay federal taxes on that profit, 72 percent, or $468,000. Why can't I get a deal like that? Because I don't have the title "chancellor" to sell -- not that it should be for sale, but Bill sold it. You think there could be any other reason Moffett would have asked him to help make policy in the area of mining that Cunningham knows nothing about? We know Cunningham worked out a deal between the UT geology department and Freeport in which students and instructors did prospecting for Freeport. And we know Bill engineered the naming of the building for Moffett, resigning from Freeport's board only after Moffett threatened to sue three UT professors for allegedly spreading lies about Freeport's operation in Indonesia. What we don't know is what else Cunningham might have done to deserve to pocket $650,000 tax-free.