Glacier County chief., 1940-11-01
Reorganization
Indian
Acts:

Enacted the so-cal:ed Wheeler.
Howard and Tnomas-Rogers Act, nov
called the -lndlan keorganization
ACTS" winch were sponsored by SUD.
yerslve elements in the Omitted States
IN an effort 10 secure Inoian approva
OF this program, conducted campaign
oesigned to arouse race prejudice ane
class hatred and oisrespecr for al
Government and all Courts. Spent
vast sums of money to propaganda
the Indians into voting to accept thu
Reorganization" in farce elections
where the Bureau prepared the pol
lists, conducted the election. counres
the votes and determined the results
DID NOT TELL THE INDIANS tina
by voting to accept the Wheeler
Howard Act they changed their lega
status from that OF involuntary
wards" to voluntary wards" who has
voted to have the Indian Bureau re
main in control of their affairs for
ever. This is the blacklist and mos
miserable chicanery that has beer
practiced against a defenseless peopl'
in these United States.
The Indians were promised self.
government, land and unlimited loan.
for all purposes If they would accep
lhe Act. There is NO SELF-GOVERN
MENT IN THE ACT. All final powe
and authority rests in the hands o
Mr.. Dictator Secretary Of the Interior
No Indian can ever OWN land whicf
has been purchased under authority
of the Act. The Government buys thu
land, takes title to it, and the Indiar
is assigned" the use of 1t, subject
to removal, with no rights Of heir
ship. The Government now owns ovei
a MILLION ACRES of land which has
been thus purchased. The Government
takes mortgage for every cent thai
is loaned to the Indians-on tribaI
assets loaned to a tribe and on indi-
vidual assets in the case of an indivi-
dual loan. NO ONE can borrow any
money unless he has assets. Further
than this, the language of the Appro-
priation Act has been changed to pro-
vide that the Secretary of Interio,
now takes lien on property, not only
for all loans but also FOR ANY AMI
ALL MONEY SPENT FOR THE RE
LIEF OF INDECENT INDIANS. In.
stead of owning" more land In 1870
the Indian owns less and have lost II
through foreclosure proceedings anc
by REIMBURSEMENT of fee title to the
Federal corporations set UP under
authority of the Acts. in exchange fol
slip of paper saying they own "ar
interest in corporate property.
The Act provides that Indian tribe.
shall become organized into Fedora
corporations. with all property, rea
and personal, held In common. It DOR.
vides for minority control of the en-.
TIRE tribe and minority control of eacf
division or section of the reserva.
lions. Courts are set up and used Il
punish those who do not agree witt
the program, with no right Of triba
by jury or representation by counsel
Inc governments have the powe,
TO engage in any and all business O,
industry. to issue license and collecl
taxes, and, in some places, to collec1
such payments by enforced labor ant
the fines in personal property. Credit
association are set up and tribal in.
come mortgaged to borrow money TO,
various Community purposes. Botf
leans and tribal funds are utilized n
finance Federally-owned and operated
"co-operatives". Acts providing foy
per-cap!ta payments to individual In.
dians from tribal funds have been on.
posed and vetoed. thus putting tn,
seal OF executive approval on the In.
o,an service policy of conserving In.
dian assets for productive uses,
lmean'ng the Federal "co-operattyes,
One Superintendent refused to aIloy
a tribe to use its own funds to re-.
ieve suffering among the cold and
hungry but graciously provided cot.
inns out Of the seine fund to bur,
nose VINO died. Under the "reorean.
izatton' Indians are being reeimentet
into little reservation Soyiets nat.
termed after the Russian "colhozes,
and "sovhozes'. and forced to EARN
and craze and cut timber on ccm.
munal basis to such an EXTENT tho,