The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1961-12-14
GLACIER REPORTER BROWNING GLACIER COUNTY. MONTANA

expected to become a real en-
dian Service" unless proper ac-
commodations are provided, sal
airy schedules are made more
equitable, and contacts with
other administrators in the same
or related fields are systemati-
cally encouraged. With respect
to the latter, 1t Is pointed out
that superintendent of other de-
partmental bureaus with similar
structures have annual confer
ences. The Task Force favors a
similar meeting for superinten-
dents in the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.
INFORMATION OFFICE
Throughout this report, the
Task Force has emphasized that
achievement of the detectives of
full indian participation in
American life requires the col
Liberation of the Indians, the
American people, and Govern
ment officials at all levels. Since
at present many persons outside
the Bureau view Indians and
their problems in terms of stere-
otypes based on myths, anachron-
isms and deliberate distortions,
there is serious need for a major
public relations effort which
will acquaint the American peo-
pie with the Indian as he is to-
day, with the history and pres
ent status of his problems, and
with programs which the FEEDER
al Government and other agen-
cies have instituted in his be-
half.
Bureau employees everywhere
should consider public relations
one of the most important of
their responsibilities. Superin-
tendents and area directors, es-
pecially, should not only accept
invitations to discuss their work,
but should undertake to create
opportunities for such discussion.
Regular appearances before serv-
ice clubs, Chambers of Com
merce, and women's organiza-
tions should be required part
of the responsibility of all super
intendents, area directors and
members of their staffs. -.
In its travels, the Task Force
observed considerable variation
from area to area in the kinds
of information materials which
were available for distribution
to the public. In a few places,
area office staffs had prepared
small booklets summarizing per-
tinent data for each reservation
and including small maps show
ing reservation locations. The
Task Force found these extreme
ly useful, but noted that the sta
tistical information which they
contained did not always agree
with that included in publica-
lions prepared by the Central
Office. Apparently, this calls for
more coordination and constant
updating of statistical materials.
II was something of a surprise
to the Task Force to learn that
the Information Office of the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs consists of
only four persons, scarcely suf-
ficient number to handle the
myriad responsibilities confront
ing it. In view of the great Amer
lean interest in Indians and the
vast quantity of misinformation
circulated by other sources, the
Bureau should have available at
all times a large reservoir of
books, pamphlets, color slides,
motion pictures, recordings, and
conceivably, video tapes, which
could be utilized by Bureau per-
sonnet at all levels, by teachers,
newspapers, radio and television
stations, lecturers and others.
Members of Congress could GER
tainly find use for such mater
ials, both to circulate among
their constituents and to employ
for committee briefings. The
availability of this information
in a condensed, palatable form
would be of great value in the
Bureaus program for training
new employees.
The Task Force was advised
that certain members of Congress
are opposed to the idea of an
expanded Bureau information eff
fort because of their fear that
it would be employed in the Blu
reau's behalf, rather than in be-
half of the Indians and the Fed
eral program. The Secretary
should attempt to determine
whether this is true and, if il
is, confer with Congressman in
volved to get their suggestions as
to how necessary Bureau infor-
nation activities (of which there
are a great many can be per-
formed in some fashion which
will not include this danger. If
we are to enlist the aid of local
agencies of Government, the nom
Indians near the reservations,
and the American public gener-