pg_user does not exist

Hello,
I have been running postgres for quite some time with this problem:
whenever a user logs in or issues almost any command in the "psql"
client, they get this error:

-bash-2.05b$ psql
ERROR: Relation "pg_user" does not exist

postgres=> \l
ERROR: Relation "pg_user" does not exist

postgres=> \dt
ERROR: Relation "pg_user" does not exist

etc...

At first I thought it had something to do with my using ident
authentication, but after some research it seems my "template1"
database is corrupt and missing some pretty essential elements. If I
could just build a new template1 or run initdb again, everything might
be OK... but the problem here is that there isn't much I can do without
being able to use pg_dump to export/backup my databases first!!

I even tried editing the initdb script and the postgres.bki file to
only run certain parts of the init process, like creating the views and
such... which DID eliminate the "pg_user does not exist" error, but
also created big messes with the other databases (like creating
multiple pg_database tables and erasing all other database's data).
Oops! Luckily restoring was as easy as "mv data.bak data" . :)

So, before I spend any more time playing with the my customized initdb
and postgres.bki, does anyone have any better ideas of how I might:

a) rebuild template1 to get to a point where I can pg_dump my
databases, reinstall postgres or re-initdb, then import the databases
-OR-
b) export the databases without having a pg_user view??

The server is running:
Redhat 8.0
postgresql-7.2.4-5.80

I'm not even sure if I'm on the right track here, so any help is much
appreciated!!
B.
--
Bethany A. Benzur
Computer Support Specialist IV
School of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Institute
of Technology
phone: 404.894.7632
helpdesk: lcc-support(at)iac(dot)gatech(dot)edu