Evening star., 1951-05-07
This Time, TheyIlWoste No Wompum
By Herbert Gordon


the sale of Manhattan Island. But II
they conformed to latter -day tradition.
they promptly began gambling over 1t.
and traded some for other equally
worthless baubles-or the early Dutch
brand of fire water.
That tradition lasted a long time.
AS recently as 1888 the Ute Indians
received a land claim settlement Of
$1,1O0 for each tribal member. The
Indian Bureau doled out the funds
after first Shrewdly - it thought
restricting the money to the purchase OF
farm and home machinery.
The Utes purchased the equipment.
all right Then they sold their pur-
chaSes and with cash in hand set of
on the widest spree in reservation
history
Today, the Utes take much different
view of matters fiscal. And we'll they
might The average familys income
rarely, with the exception of 1888. has
exceeded $400 per year. But now thu
Utes have an account with the United
States Treasury for fat $32 million
drawing per cent interest The money,
deposited to their credit in September.
year as the climax of a 12-year suit in
the United States Court of Claims in
volving sale of Ute lands by the Federal
Government. The court victory was, by
many millions, the largest settlement
ever won by an Indian tribe in the Court
of Claims.
Five bands of Utes will share in the
jackpot-three, with a population OF
about 1900, live on the Utah reserva-
ton. The other two, numbering some
1900, are on the Consolidated Ute res
ervation in western Colorado.
This time, the Utes have no intention
of riding off on a wild spree with all
that money It would be difficult even
if they wanted to. For all American
Indians, as we'll as their money, still
are wards of the Federal Government
which, through the Bureau OF Indian
Affairs, exercises paternalistic control
over this most depressed of American
ethnic groups.
Even to touch their money the Utes
must have a plan for its use approved
by the Indian Bureau and. should that
agency so require, they also need leglS-
lative nod from Congress.
The three bands of Utes on the Uin-
tah-Ouray reservation have such plan.
The Colorado Utes repeatedly are work
ing on one The other day delegation
from Utah came to Washington to
discuss theirs.
They didn't come in head dress and
blankets, but in business suits and with
bulging brief cases. After week Of
congressional hearings and conferences
with congressional and governmental
leaders, they flew home leaving behind
an awe-struck group Of public officials.
For what the Ute delegation had un-
Veiled promises to be the most far
reaching program ever devised by an
Indian tribe to rehabilitate itself in its
own fashion and with it's own money.
"It is a unique job" said Dillon S.
Myer, Commissioner Of Indian Affairs.
Il would recommend it for study by
every Indian tribe in the country"
X
Backed by pages of exhaustive re-
search data. the Ute plan delved into
every phase of reservation life. It was
largely the work of a six-man body, the
Tribal Business Council. 1t reflected
two things clearly-the rising impor-
tance of the younger World War II
reservation veterans, and the eminent
leadership value Of Indians willing to
put their college educations and knowl-
edge to work on their home reservations
In brief the Utah Utes' ideas for
spending their SIT million share of the
court settlement is divided into two
phases. The first is a threeyear reha-
bilitation program, aimed at forcing
upwards the miserably low living stand
ards on the reservation. This will cost,
according to the Utes. IS million.
The Utes are confident that, during
these three years. they can prove their
ability to handle money wisely. They
anticipate working out in detail long
range program for spending the balance
of the money with view to "asSimilat-
ing the Ute Indian into the American
culture and society with all the rights.
privileges and responsibilities Of citi-
zenship."
The three-year plan is divided into
these major efforts: l. An immediate,
no-strings- attached payment of $1,000
to each Indian; 2. Establishing 81
million loan fund. administered by the
Tribal Business Council; 3. Spending
S1.IC 1Ol VI SOIllC
non-Indian owned lands that checker
board the reservation, hampering farm
and grazing development programs; 4.
The balance-$1.15 million-for such
essentials as school Improvement fish
and wildlife conservation and adult
education.
The program has won the whole
hearted support of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. Utah's congressional delegation
is equally enthusiastic. Senator Arthur
v. Watkins. Republican. of Utah. point
ing out it would require legislative act
for the Utes to get the 81 1000 per capita
payment, said the entire State delega-
ton would push the bill to get that
program started. He predicted the nee
essary legislation would be approved by
Congress within month.
Rex Curry, 35-year-old soft-spoken
business manager of the Tribal Council,
a graduate of Brigham Young University.
was unofficial spokesman for the Ute
delegation. 1--WE held meetings all over
the reservation" he said, land we've hit
hard at the idea that whether we get all
TI;o @~I IT,