Shasta Dam 'people' plaque (1128)

Intersting, simple, statement for a plaque on one of the elevator towers: "Built by and for the people of the United States." Considering its simplicity and apparently quite obvious statement, it seems odd that a statement was needed. Possibly it was because of the tensions with Native American groups whose homelands were taken for the lake. (See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasta_Dam)