The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1955-06-03

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stated that, on all matters affect
ing Indians, he would be guided
by the wishes of the Tribal Coun-
Gil. the duly elected representa-
tives of the Tribe, as expressed
in tribal resolutions or through
the tribal attorneys.
On Thursday afternoon, May
IL, the Blackfeet representatives
met with Richard Callahan, the
clerk of the Senate Committee
on Interior and Insular Affairs,
and one of Senator Murray's
chief advisers on Indian
problems. Senator Murray I'M
fortunately was away from Wash
ington during all the time the
Blac6eet delegation was in the
city. Callahan reiterated Sena-
tor Murray's support for pend
ing bills endorsed by the Tribe,
many of which Senator Murray
has sponsored, and confirmed the
Senator's interest in securing the
re-examination of Indian Bureau
policies to which the Tribe OBJ
jects.
On Friday afternoon, May 10,
the Blackfeet representatives met
with Congressman Flare, who
represents the Congressional
District in which the Reserva-
ton is located. Among other mat
tiers which came up for discus
sion at this conference was the
tribal resolution requesting the
release of 100000 in Glass "a"
funds for the purchase of land
within the reservation. In this
regard, Congressman Flare indi-
Gated that he knew no reason
why the Tribe should not be al
lowed to spend its own money
in accordance with its Constitu-
ton, and that he would look in
to the possibility of securing
either administrative action or
legislation to achieve that result.
On Thursday, May IL, the
Blackfeet representatives deliv-
cred to Senator Mansfield's Of
flee detailed letter concerning
existing Indian Bureau land poll
cies on the Blackfeet Reserva-
ton. In this letter the delegates
urged, among other matters, that
the foregoing policies be changed
to prevent the transfer of In
dian-owned lands to non-Indians.
Copies of the letter were also de-
livered to the other members of
the Montana Congressional dele
cation.
Administrative Activities
(a) On Wednesday afternoon,
May II, several Blackfeet repre-
sentatives, together with dele
gates from other Indian tribes,
met with DR.. Scheele, the Sur
geon-General of the United
States, to discuss the transfer of
Indian Bureau hospital facilities
to the Public Health Service as
of July l, 1855. The purpose of
this visit was to insure to the ex-
tent possible that the foregoing
administrative transfer would
not result in a decrease of med
ical services to Indians, but
rather, as the enabling legisla-
ton contemplated, would result
in improved medical care on In
dian reservations. Among the
practices which the Public
Health Service intends to intro
duce in coming years is a more
intensive program for preventive
medicine among the various
tribes.
(b) On Friday morning, May
II, the Blackfeet representatives
met with various officials of the
Indian Bureau to discuss land
and credit policies and problems.
Chose who attended the meet
ing, in addition to the tribal del
egates and attorneys, were AS
sistant Commissioner Utz, and
Messrs. Mathis, Hutchinson,
Flory and Huber of the Wash
ington Office of the Indian Blu
reau; Superintendent Spencer;
and Richard Callahan). These
discussions were continued Fri
day afternoon and again Tues
day afternoon, May II, at which
times the following points were
brought out:
~ Although the Indian Blu
reau in the past has endorsed
proposed legislation to grant
title to sub-marginal lands on
Indian reservations to the
tribes concerned, the Bureau
now takes the position that
consideration of such bills
should be postponed indefinite
ly According to the Bureau
the disposition of such sub
marginal lands should be
handled in conjunction with
termination legislation. ut
should be noted, however, that
Senator Murray and Congress-
man Metcalf have introduced
t;t1n h cih-