The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-02-19
INDIAN DELEGATES
TO WASHINGTON

/ ADuA ~oNsSA oNaSNS WV -
CATION which will leave Saturday
for Washington, u. c., where
they will confer with officials of
the Department of the Interior,
the Bureau Of Indian Affairs and
members of congress Oh prob.
lens OF the Blackfeet Tribe and
! new legislation affecting Indians
in general and members Of the
Blackfeet Tribe in particular.
Their visit will coincide with q
nation wide meeting of Indians
called in Washington during the
week beginning February 20 by
the National Congress of Ameri'
can Indians.
The Blackfeet Tribe was re.
quested by their neighbors, the
Flathead Indians. to send dele.
CATION to Washington to assist
the Flatheads in presenting their
case against liquidation of their
assets and Tribal membership.
All Montana Indians have also
been requested to attend the
hearings March 2 and 3 to be
held in Washington before the
House Committee on Interior and
Insular Affairs regarding the
same proposal for liquidation of
the Turtle Mountain reservation
in North Dakota. This invitation
was extended by John Hart, No.
Dakota State Director of Indian
Affairs.
According to opinions express.
cd by students Of Indian Affairs,
the present rush of so-called
liquidation" or termination"
bills - of which there are ten
scheduled for hearing during the
month of February - indicates
a marked trend on the part of
members of Congress and the
Department of the Interior to
rid the country of the so-called
Indian Problem in the shortest
possible time. II Is feared by
these groups and individuals that
II enactment of these present
bills comes to pass. the country
can look forward to many more
in the near future.
The Blackfcet Tribal Council
has taken q position in opposi.
ton to these bills or bills of a
similar nature being enacted at
this time or in the immediate
future on the grounds that not
only Indians themselves. but al.
SO state and local governments
are not financially or legally pre-.
pared to deal with q problem as
complex as that presented by In.
dian affairs.
II was further emphasized by
the Council that Indians are at
present undergoing q period of
transition which. il allowed to
continue unmolcstcd, will result
in many more Of the members
Of Indian tribes to take their
rightful place in society as cap.
able, well informed citizens. The
Council further contends that II
has been only in recent years
that the problems of Indian trib.
cs have been made known TO the
general public and that this al.
tcnti0n should be diverted to.
ward protecting Indian rights
and properties and creating q
better understanding between
Indians and their white brothers
rather than to liquidatc Indian
tribes and governments as such.
and take the risk Of a vast mai.
GRITTY Of their members becoming
charges Of society.
The Tribal Council also feels
that tho haste and lack of un.
dcrstanding with which this prob.
lem III one exists Is being ap.
preached Is excmplificd by the
recent introduction In Congress
Of q bill which would remove
from Tribal rolls all Indians In
the country Of less than Onc.hplf
degree Of Indian blood. without
regard to qualifications of the
individual 10 manage and protect
his property or fcnd for himself
IN a complex world of cvcr.in.
crcasing mechanical progress.
The Tribal Council feels that
baSing mental. moral. or mn,cri.
nj growth on such M incidental
item aS blood quantum shows n
disregard for tho welfare Of the
individual. They point out that
even immigrant aliens mus! Ass
citizenship exams before they arc
declared full Pledged citizens.
and TO subject Indians 10 n
disassoc iatiOn from sacred cul.
tural and family ties on grounds
not even comparable to in,mi.
grant aliens is = breach Of faith
on the part Of tho Federal gov.
crnmcnt and an insult to the d,u.
nifty Of tho first real American,
who once lived III plenty IN this
great land Of promise.
Other matters Of local t,nport.
nncc will be taken up with inter.
csecd officials by the delegation.
For the most part. these are prob.