The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-04-29
ALASKA STATEHOOD
The Indian Claims Middle
By BOB DeARMOND

iiOOQ IlcdiulS OpcllCQ III WdSAlllS
ton a small group of citizens OF
Alaska were voting whether to &C
cept or reject an exclusive reserva-
ton for themselves, the proposed
Hydaburg Indian Reservation which
would deprive the new state OF
some present and perhaps great po-
tential revenues and would set the
people on the reservation apart
from the other citizens OF the
state.
1t was not accidental, on the
other hand, that the Interior De-
partment injected the Indian claims
issue directly into the statehood
question when it wrote HR. 33l,
the statehood enabling bill pre-
sently under consideration by Con-
gress.
This bill, authored by the Interior
Department, provides: THAT said
State and its people do agree ana
declare that they forever disclaim
all right and title to . all lands
lying within its boundaries owned
or held by any Indians, Aleuts, or
Eskimos hereinafter called natives.
| the right or title to which shall have
been acquired through or from the
United States or any prior sover-
eighty, and that until the title . 4.
of such natives shall have been dis
posed of or extinguished-. the same
| shall be and remain subject to the
| disposition and under absolute
jurisdiction and control of the
Congress of the United States; i. !.
but nothing herein shall pre-
clude the said State from taxing,
as other lands and other property
are taxed. any lands and other prop
erty owned or held by any native
outside of native reservation un-
less otherwise prohibited by Con-
gress."
Deplorable Confusion
The present deplorable confusion
regarding Indian claims in Alaska
has been laid at the door of the
Interior Department by many in
formed people including Ernest
Gruening, governor of the Terri
tory and himself an official OF thai
department.
1.-The issue of aboriginal claims
did not exist in Alaska" Governor
Gruening wrote to United State
Senator a couple of years ago, ''un-
til former Secretary OF the In
terror created it, thereby obstruct-
ing pulp and paper and other de-
velopment and reviving interracial
hard feeling and friction which was
on its way out"
That is a severe indictment, but
believe it is just one. The In
terror Department clearly intends to
retain control of virtually all c.
Alaska by one means or another.
AS one of these means it proposes
! to create an Indian reservation
wherever and whenever possible,
since such reservations are con-
Jrolled and administered by one OF
: the bureaus of the Interior De-
partment.
In the language OF H.R. 331 the
Indian lands in Alaska shall be ano
remain subject to the disposition
and under the absolute jurisdiction
and control of the Congress OF the
United States"
That in itself seems fair and ade-
quate, but Congress has made an
honest effort to provide for settle
ment of the Indian claims in South
east Alaska at least, and it has met
with little success. The reason for
this lack of success, believe, is in
reference on the part of the In
Serior Department.
Fifteen years ago Congress passed
what is known as the Tlingit and
Haida Claims Act. This provides
that the Indians of Southeast
Alaska may sue the US. govern
ment for any losses or impairment
of rights they may have suffered,
with the us. Court of Claims to
determine the monetary value OF
such losses.
Up to Secretary Interior
This method of settling the In
dian claims has been completely by
passed. Instead, the Secretary OF
the Interior is determining the value
and validity of the Indian claims,
thus usurping a function OF the
judicial branch of our government,
and is attempting to settle the
claims by creating reservations.
Congress some years ago gave the
Secretary of the Interior the author
ity TO create Indian reservations in
Alaska, and efforts to repeal that
portion of the law two years ago
were unavailing.
It is true that the Alaska Indians
are not forced to accept the reser-
vations; they may 60 to the polls
and reject any such proposition the
Secretary of the Interior may make.
But it will be noted that the In
terror Departments statehood bill
the bill now being considered by