The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-04-06
T H ES E D AY s By GEORGE E. SOKOLSKY
The Poor Indian

Every day there is something new to discover in the United States This country is so big and varied and in each section the people are so different.
 The other day I was in Tucson, Arizona, and I went to the Rotary Club there to listen to the Chiet of the Papagos deliver one of the most eloquent speeches that had ever heard. His name is Thomas A. Segundo and he is so OBVIOUSLY A leader of men that were he rot an Indiana ward of the Depart ment of the Interior-he could have been a member of Congress without any loss to that august body.
 What struck me so closely is that we, who are so eager to aid every nation on earth, do practically nothing for those from whom we have taken this country; that we violate our treaties with them; ana that there are bills in Congress, al the present moment. designed lo rob them, to steal their lands, ana to deprive them of the few pene- fits remaining to them. Perhaps we need point four program TOT the American Indian right here at home.
 Millions, if not billions of dollars, have been spent by the American taxpayer on the Indian Bureau, but there is little evidence to show benefits to the Indian from these expenditures. In fact, 1t would seem, from the results, flat the design of the Bureau has been to make the Indian more dependent upon the Bureaucrats. The Papagos, for instance, can report that they have fewer schools and disqualification facilities than 10 years ago.
 Most Americans might look at the figure of 2855,021 acres that the Papagos have as reservation, and assume that they are land rich. But Arizona is an arid country. it's desert lands being among the least productive in the United States. l am told that in many parts of the west, the Indian reservations are on bad lands, where living is diffi- cult unless oil or minerals are found and the Indians are not robbed We know too little about these peo- pie whom we conquered. We. who have the advantage of living here owe them, at least the debt of fair treatment
 I have, on several occasions called attention to the facts that the so-called pigmented peoples of the world, in Europe, Asia and Ar rica, distrust the United States more than they do Soviet Russia The reason is that they are more offended by our social attitude to- ward the pigmented people in oui midst. Soviet Russia has taken full advantage of this and has conduc- ted a long and successful propagan- da against this country on the basis of what they call White Suprem' acy."
 While not accepting the Russian version of our social position, cannot deny that they have pre- sented a picture which Chinese Indians, Iranians, Pakistani, at- all the peoples of Africa accept q true. In Korea, many of our me jol difficulties have arisen from che belief that all Americans hate ano like to kill those who are not white
 This presents a serious problem for nation which is seeking allies among these very peoples. Certain ly our treatment of the American Indian confirms the suspicion o1 unfairness. Even if we cannot b' responsible for what our ancestors did, we must avoid doing more ol the same, and if we do not behave decently for the sake of the Amer ican Indian, we might from tht standpoint of national self-interest
 I was told that some of the mos outrageous bills introduced in Con gress are designed to rob the Indiai of his lands in the interest of oi