The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-01-14

/
under which the Indian Bureau is
justifying its rapid termination of
services to Indians on the admins
trative level, and would provide the
kind of high authorization needed for
the passage of series of bills to
right wrongs already done the In
dams and help them make them
selves ready for self-sufficient fu-
ture."
AS examples of forward-looking
legislation which could be passed,
If Congress restates its views of
what constitutes justice to the In
dams, MIR. Zimmerman mentioned
the following:
A bill to facilitate the consolida-
ton and economic use of allotted
trust lands in fractionated heirship
status, which would give Indians a
first preference in the purchase of
such lands, and would further estab-
lish loan fund through which such
purchases could be financed on a
longtime repayment basis. Inherited
Indian land today comes increasingly
into the ownership of many, rather
than a single heir, and division of the
Inheritance usually results in the
holding of impractically small plots
by Individually
A bill to authorize Indian tribes to
enter into long-term leases for the
development of tribal land holdings
for public, religious, recreational,
educational, commercial and other
worthy purposes. Most tribes now
are limited to 5-year lease arrange
ments.)
A bill, along the lines of the Nava-
io-Hopi Rehabilitation Act, to provide
for the economic rehabilitation of
depressed Indian groups, such as the
Papago, Sioux, and Minnesota Chip
pewas.
A bill to provide for the equitable
settlement of Native Land Claims in
Alaska.
A bill to amend Sections and 7
of Public Law $50, so that no State
can assume civil and criminal juris-
diction over Indian reservations with
out the consent of the Indians. (The
law in its present form is holly OPP
posed by Indians, since it empowers
a state to take over such jurisdiction
from the Federal Government without
any consideration of Indian views.)
A bill authorizing Indian tribes to
retain attorneys of their own choice,
without the approval of the Secretary
of the Interior-a power which they
do not now have; and authorizing
tribes to control their own money
without having to go to Congress
every time they want to spend it.
4
In defense of valuable Indian as
sets. Mr.. Zimmerman asked for a bill
ito transfer mineral and other sub
surface rights to the Papago Reserva-
ton in Arizona to the tribe, and also,
as the Government promised long ago.
to grant all tribes title to those sub
marginal lands within their reserva-
tions which are set aside for their
use but to which they do not now
possess title"
The Co-ordinating Committee on
American Indian Affairs, the group
to which Mr.. Zimmerman presented
the 1866 legislative program of the
Association on American Indian At
fairs, is composed of delegates of
The following organizations interested
in Indian matters: The American
Civil Liberties Union, the American
Friends Service Committee, the As
ISOLATION on American Indian Affairs,
he Bureau of Catholic Indian Mis-
lions. the General Federation of
Vomen's Clubs, the Indian Rights
Association, the National Congress
# American Indian, the National
Council Of Churches of Christ, and
he New Mexico Association on In
Ian Affairs.
In his statement on behalf of the
Association on American Indian At
airs. Mr.. Zimmerman stressed the
allure Of the Interior Department,
he Indian Bureau and the Commits
ioner of Indian Affairs to give real
consideration to the principle of In
ian consent and the rights of In
ians. He called attention to recent
iolations of this principle, not only
n the high policy level, but in speci-
ic WAYS such as changes in agency