The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1953-12-25

of timber. Should the timber be
disposed of it should be by com.
petitive bid, the proper way to
dispose of all other tribal assets.
DeMere said the plan proposed
is drawn loosely, leaves too much
unsaid and makes no reference
to the impact withdrawal would
have on the state and county.
The federal government gave
nothing when the Indian ceded
! large acreages, now the Indian
should be consulted before he is
submitted to any withdrawal, De.
Mere said.
Bergan credited the so-called
CT Bill with being a great force
In the recent progress the Indian
made in assimilation into soci.
ETY..
He pointed to the fact the Flat.
heads have certain rights obtain.
ed in a treaty with the United
States and condemned the term
Withdrawal" as making for re-
sentiment.
Suggesting it probably would
be better to give the Indians
more time to study the proposal,
he warned that changes in social
and economic life bring certain
amount of hardship. Drastic
changes would be upsetting to
peoples life, he added.
He said the state is studying
the possibility of problems under
the plan and said it is not fai
for the federal government t..
throw on the state or county
problems caused by the reserva-
ton system, which. were created
by the federal government.
Explaining the Indian Service
had nothing to do with passage
of Resolution 108, Stone noted
the service has been assigned to
acquaint the Indians with the
contents of the rough draft bill
and never was told to try to sell
them on the bills provisions.
Stone said he felt the final out
come of the situation would be
good and praised the progress of
the Flatheads and the council
and similar groups for their in
tercst in the situation.
Higgins received applause from
the predominantly Indian audi
ence when he quipped 40 min
utes is a short time to cover IT'S
years of wrong-doing," after be-
ing informed his allotted discus
sion time had expired.
He explained the purpose of
the Inter-Tribal agency is to ter
inmate government supervision
and bring it to a state level.
He noted funds at present are
not available to take over a pro-
gram like the United States now
has.
81 cannot understand why more
caution was not used in this bill"
he said. "They want to make In
dams citizens like everybody else
and so to go per cent are not
able to buy enough food.
Making an Indian a citizen is
not going to make him able to
buy grub. Let's have the Indian
Bureau take care of this first"
he said.
Speaking on ward and non
ward Indians, Belgard, non
ward, said eve are Indians for
all intent and purposes and
should come under the scope of
ward Indians"
He explained the Chippewas
are non-wards because years ago
tribe leaders refused to accept
10 cents an acre for their land.
1--WE then were forced off our
land by arms and starvation and
other means"
Belgard said the position of his
tribe was opposition to the en-
tire bill. He voiced distrust of
the intentions behind the bill in
saying the Chippewas are afraid
of what might become of their
people.
"The bill is not strong enough
to gain our confidence he said,
land we wonder if its propon-
ents considered the injustice of
the past in preparing it."
He asked that the bill be taken
back and proponents check past
injustices to "show they really
mean what they say"
In summing up the forum DR..
Nutterville said the audience had
been given tentative outline of
what NAV be projected. She not