The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-05-21
Commissioner Emmons on Indians Future

address by Commissioner Of In.
dian Affairs Glenn l.. Emrrnns
before the annual meeting of the
Association On American Indian
Affairs.)
First, l want you all to know
that l have been looking forward
to the opportunity of meeting
with the members of this aSSoci.
alton. One reason for this is be-
cause l believe that il is import
ant for me as Commissioner to
maintain close associations and
good working relationships with
all organizations and groups
which are concerned about the
welfare and the fundamental
rights of the American Indian
Another is because everything |
have read about the Association
on American Indian Affairs and
all contacts l have had with in.
dividual members of your group
convinces me that your basic OBJ.
jective is to see that Indians en-.
joy the same kinds of oppor,un.
tiles and advantages which are
available to other American ci,i.
Gems. Since that is exactly the
goal which I have in mind as
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs
1t semes clear to me that We can
and should work together. | am
hopeful that our meeting here
this afternoon will open the way
for cooperative rclat ionships
which will become increasingly
close and effective in the months
and years that lie ahead.
There are two thoughts which
! want to emphasize at the out.
set because they will help to
point up the kind of adminis,ra.
ton I am trying to achieve in the
Bureau of Indian Affairs. One is
the need for all of US in the Bur.
eau to maintain humane and
warmly sympathetic approach
toward Indian affairs bearing
constantly in mind tina, We are
dealing not with inanimatc oh.
jects but with human beings who
must be treated with dignity and
respect. The second thought is
that our most important Job in
the Bureau Is to help the Indian
people In solving some of their
more Fundamental problems and
In eventually reaching the stage
OF economic End social develop.
ment where they will be able 10
fcnd for themselves.
With this objective in mind. We
are now concentrating our cf.
forts primarily in three main
fields where the needs of the In.
dian people are most critically
urgent and where the opportun.
tiles for constructive accomplish.
ment are consequently creates,
and most challenging. These
fields are ID health. ~ cduca.
ton. and g. economic develop.
ment. In this talk ! plan to dc.
vote my remarks chiefly to a dis.
cussion of the health. education
and economic problems We find
among the Indian people today
and the plans and programs We
are shaping up in the Bureau of
Indian Affairs TO meet these prob.
lens more effectively and dc.
cisivcly.
The health needs Of the In.
dians are probably as well known
to the members Of this audience
rs they are to US In the Bureau.
All Of you. feel sure. are fam.
liar with the really appalling
statistics tuberculosis rates
among certain tribes running 8
or 10 times rs high as the nation.
nj average. even higher rates In
some cases for certain infectious
diseases such as dyscntcry or
measles. drsprcad and fro.
qucnt infant mortality. and In
many areas q span Of life cx.
pcctancy which represents only
q fraction "f the national aver.
age. These conditions. Of course.
do not prevail uniformly In all
Indian arcs but wherever they
are found hey represent. In my
Judgment. one Of the most i'm.
pOrtant n, ga,rc factors In Indian
life - one Of the chief forces
holding back large numbers Of
Indians To-Day and keeping them
from o full realization Of their
J,0tcntialii's rs American citi.
zcnS and - human beings. BE-.
cause ! b. Irvc that this II q
problem of absolutely fundamcn.
tai impOr;"nr In the field Of In.
dian affair We are planning To
attack Il W.T. 4 vigorous program,
Of preventive medicine using all
the skills and tcchniqucs that
modern scheme has devised. Our
efforts will h, conferred chiefly on
environment sanitation work 10
eliminate i.ir conditions now
breeding diseases 70 profuscly Il,
many Indian areas and on health
education to provide tho Indians
on o much broader basis with nj
least the elementary facts about
personal hygiene and disease pre-,
vcnti0n. The basic objective II