The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-05-14
Mssoula Meeting Considers
Many Problems Facing Indians
By ROBERT I. WARD

"oINcIS, educators, bureau Oh
Indian Affairs officials and in.
tcrested citizens attended the
first Montana Institute on Indian
Affairs held April q. % and %
on the campus of Montana State
University.
The Institute was an idea born
out of a conference in Great
Falls between DR.. Harold Tasch.
or. professor of social work at
MSU and Sister Pr0vidcncia of
the College of Great Falls. The
inspiration came out of a recog.
nizcd need to investigate prob.
lens surrounding M0ntana's In.
dams who face the possible with.
drawal of Federal support and
protection should any of mum.
Der of termination" bills be pass.
I'd through Congress.
DIR. Tascher took the idea back
to his community service labor.
atOrT class at MSU. The class i'm.
mcdiately seized the opportunity
to gain valuable experience in
organization. administration and
cvaluatiOn of such a conference.
Paul CarpinO. senior in social
work. was student director of the
Institute. He and his committees
began contracting leaders in the
fields pertinent to the Indian
problem.
The results are now history.
For the first time in Montana,
Indians, Bureau officials. social
workers. legal officers. in fact all
persons interested in Indian af.
fairs were brought together to
investigate. analyzc and present
conclusions as to specific prob.
lens.
The first speaker to take the
platform at Tuesdays session was
Miss Vinita Lewis. welfare spe.
cialist. U. S. Bureau of Indian
Affairs. Washington. d. c. Miss
Lewis mentioned a problem basic
to the Indians first contacts with
the white man - How shall the
Indian know with whom he is
DEALING" In the past. he has new.
or been sure of whom to trust.
This problem was born of his.
tory. she said. and Is still unans.
wcred. although the answer
could very we'll come out of an
Institute such as the one held
in Montana.
Miss Lewis c0ntcnded that the
Indians destiny does not lie with
their connection to the tribe. but
in their status as individuals
They can be individual citizens
and loyal members Of their tribe
at one time. she said. With this
problem. she stated that the Am
crican people are conducting q
great experiment Of Indignation,
At no other place in the world
Is this process of assimilation 81
active. since everywhere else. il
is a matter Of cO.cxiStcnce -
where two cultures exist side by
side as separate groups.
The second speaker to address
the assembly was Miss icnriette
l.und. welfare consultant. Nation
al Lutheran Council. New York
City. a specialist In Indian affairs
Miss l.und stated that in the pres
cnt day. the Indian Is a either,
of the world. an individual. and
that II Is possible that In the
past the U. S. government may
have been too protective much
the same as wcll.mcanins in.laws
arc toward their married child
rem.
She stated that tho greatest 0i
all the modern social and scicn'
tific achievements Of today Is
the advancement in better human
relations. The Indian problem,
she said. presents q need for
joint planning among HUMANE
tartan groups. 80 that the min
GRITTY Is served along the basic
principle Of all social work -
helping people to help themsclv'
as.
Following her speech. o panel
of interviewer and cOnSultants
made up Of University students
from the community service lab
Oratory class and the staff Of the
Billings Area Office. Bureau Of
Indian Affairs. held q discussion
Of current problems.
Student intcrvicwcrs were Tess
Avery. Miss0ula: Paul Carpin0
AIiss0ula: Kathryn Lindscth. 0i
Great Falls: Carl WOhlgcnant. Of
Miles City. aud Alice W0lstad 0i
Waller. Max McIikc. MissOula
was session chairman.
Bureau Of Indian Affairs con
sultantS were: Paul l.. Fickingcr
area director: +. NJ. llavcrland
assistant area director: Louise &
Wibcrg, director Of schools: DR.
Frederick Kratz. area medical Of
ficcr: George r. Barrett. place
mcnt and relocation officer. and
Elsie T.. Dickcrt. social worker.
Ilighlight Of Wednesdays SOS
sion was an address by ASSOct
ate Justice Il. v. Bottomly Of the
Montana Supreme Court. discuss
Ing "AiOntann's Responsibility In
indian Affairs"
Justice BOtt0mly stated that
the indian treaties signed In tho