The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-08-06
WILD STORIES OF
INDIAN TERROR

IuuVOUBSuV u6UAuNVN
Many ridiculous stories have
been printed recently in news.
papers and magazines through.
out the country concerning wha,
is sensationally and un,ru,hfullv
referred to as a wild orgy of law.
lessncss on the Blackicc, Indian
reservation.
The truth Is that since lcgaliz.
ed liquor was introduced on the
reservation, and a rcccn, ruling
of the Montana supreme coIr,
that the state has no jurisdiction
over law enforcement on rc,crva.
tiOns, there has been an increase
of petty crimes, but nothing com.
parable to the wild stories that
are being given wide circulation.
The Blackfeet Tribal Council, co.
operating with city and county
authorities. is initiating measures
to meet the situation. and a
marked improvement, in the
number of cases of drunkenness
and other more or less minor in
short, there is no serious lack of
law enforcement on the rcscr.
walton, and If the Council carries
out its announced program. il can
reasonably be expected that a
better era of enforcement will re-.
suit than has prevailed in the
past.
Two of the most glaring and
untruthful stories that have been
published in outside newspapers
, are sensational articles in recent
issues of the Calgary Herald. of
Alberta, and the Kansas City
Star. of Kansas City. Mo. 4
special writer for the Saturday
Evening Post is here this week.
gathering material for what he
states will be a truthful and
factual account of conditions as
they actually exist. As an OK.
ample of the stories. with little
or no foundation in fact. We re.
print the following from the Cal.
| gary Herald:
By Bruce Philips
Calgary Herald Staff Reporter
The war.whoops of the Black.
feet Indians in the sun.bakcd
cowtown of Browning in North.
western Ms;,tana have beer
heard In the airconditioned of
fees of Washington bureaucrats
While the Redskins live it ur
in the LAND without law" the
Herald's Washington correspon
dent. John r. Walker. reports tina,
department of interior Official.
have the matter under advise
mcnt."
a Herald staffer on a Montana
visit Saturday found Browning
merchants practically budding
behind store counters during the
day and rarely venturing out a,
night. while the Indians held
pOw.wOws all over town.
Washington officials conf irmcd
the Herald's report OF lawlcss
ness in Browning, the centre of q
Blackfcct reservation populated
by 600 Indians.
They found u report filed IN
May by Paul Fickingcr. India,
affairs area director at Billings
reporting IAN almost complete
breakdown Of law and order IN
Browning
| However. officials said no &C
ton has yet been taken because
they have only recently beer
advised"
Mr.. Fickingcr gave a Herald
staffcr 4 different version. 1--WE
been hollrrins about this for q
long time" he said. But no one
back in Washington has taken |,
very seriously. Maybe your in
quiry will get some action"
Mr.. Ficklngcr and Washington,
officials said the reason for law
lcssncss s,cmmcd from q state
supreme court decision which,
ruled the state had no jurisdic'
ton on land within the boundar'
les Of Indian reserves. regardless
Of towns populated by white per
sons inside the reserve lands.
The area director said the
/ federal government had never
anticipated such decision and ut
the momrn, had no method of
cOuntcraciinG II.
NATURALLY I'm violently oppos.
cd to the court decision" Mr..
Fickinsrr said.
4 Browning businessman,
said he understood the Indians
were to have police their own
lands.
"Thcy'rr not doing a very good
lob" he commented wryly.
The only law to which the In.
dams are subject ut the moment
Is violation Of federal laws suri,
Us murder. countcrfciting kidmap
ping and other crimes Of serious
nature.
| But within these limits and In.
dian can pick his own fun. And
Nhov dO