The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1956-08-17
American Indian Being Pushed Further Into NeverNever Land

underdeveloped piece of land, near his tribal
associations.
We can spend millions treating imme-
date health problems, but with what results
if the patient is to go back to the same
ditions that them poor housing
poor food unsanitary conditions
Again we quote from Douglas Mckay, when
he was Secretary Of Interior. He wrote Sena-
tor Mansfield in February of this year: "If
the Federal Government were to assume re-
sponsibility, as you suggest it should for all
INDECENT Indians regardless of tribal affilia-
ton or location, the appropriations to the
Bureau of Indian Affairs would need to be
increased many millions of dollars in the
community field alone. The administrative
staff in Washington would need to be aug
mented, and staff would need to be pro-
vided in nearly every state"
Under present programs we have not de-
creased the problem and observers in Great
Falls contend that we have increased them
enormously during the past two years with
freedoms" gone beserk-multplyn the al
coholcs and winos a hundredfold on the
streets of the city, developing new hazards
for the normal transition processes of educa-
ted and equipped young Indians who will
come down from the reservations, by piling
the Indians from Hill 81 into apartment houses
and cheap hotels through dispersal" theory,
in manner that will close more residential
opportunities for Indians. The forcing into
union jobs for which they are not equipped
in skills or psychological readiness will close
employment opportunities. The crowding and
Illustration resulting from the off-reservation
push is blighting the hopes of the promising
young families. There is such a thing as
drowning the hopes of a future on the land
of ones ancestors, for a dead-end on First
Avenue South.
We to the point right now in Montana
of disaster-level of help for the Indians off
the reservation. This will be costly. as Mr..
Mckay says, but the State or the counties
inevitably will have to assume the cost if the
Federal government refuses to control either
the cause the cure. One thing practical we
can do-support Senator Mansfield in his
present effort to marshall the facts and face
up to the overlapping and or nadequacies of
the welfare picture
We can stir up our fact-finding agencies
such other colleges and organizations of
the State. We can learn more from the College
of Great Falls about Sister Providencia's
total approach. She says 81 do not know
the answer to Hill 81. The College is only
a facts-factory and not a prescription de-
partment. | do know that we have enough
facts to prove that the Hill 57's throughout
the State pose special problem, and not one
as the Interior Department contends 'as other
ethnic groups. The facts tell US that the
answer will have to encompass the reservation,
Its population potential, it's history, the depth
of the defeatism, the promise of its resources,
the pressure-resistance level of it's peoples
spirit, the direction of it's migration tendencies
In other words, Where are the city cousins?
The total approach means reckoning with the
Indian as he is, with his stock of attitudes at
the present moment, with his very real virtues
Of endurance, sharing and hospitality. in
genuity, knowledge of men and group-centered
aptltudes, his not inconsiderable intelligence
There are wonderful people on Hill ST: there
ire some mighty fine established Indian fami-
les In town. We must find out why the larger
percentage does not know how to care for
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