The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1961-12-14
Community Planning and
Developmenf


Development
Successful economic and In
dustrial development requires a
favorable community atmosphere
as well as orderly provision OF
facilities. For example, haphaz
ard location of buildings is moi
conducive to industrial or com
munity development.
Reerssfion Development
Planning and feasibility stud
les making use of the National
Park Services experience could
contribute materially to the pro
motion of tourism, and tribal rec
reation enterprises which take
advantage of the scenery, hunt
ing and fishing and wilderness
areas of Indian reservations.
Industrial Contact
Contact with industry, trade
associations, professional organi
cations, chambers of commerce
and State development authori
ties Is essential to the attraction
of industry to the reservations.
on-fhe-Job Training
Public Law 84959 was design
ed to assist in developing jobs
for Indians. Vocational placement
in nearby communities can be
helpful in the development oil
reservation economies.
AREA OFFICES
During the Task Force hear
ings and visits to the Indian
country, the most frequently
heard complaint about the admin
istration of Indian affairs relat'
ed to the area offices. Critics OF
the area offices seek their aboli.
ton on the ground that they in.
terpose a barrier between the In.
dian and the Department in
Washington and take away power
and authority from the superin.
tendent. Thus, these critics wish
to return to the old relationship
between the individual Indian
and the Superintendent on the
one hand, and between the super
intendent and the Commissioner
on the other.
The Task Force has come to
understand the reasons for these
complaints. They express a sense
of Illustration and disappoint-
ment based on the failure of
many Bureau programs to yield
effective results. Nevertheless,
frontier days are gone, and, with
them, the time when the agency
superintendent was the sole To-
cal representative of the power
and authority of the Federal Gov
eminent. The needs of the res
ervation are changing, and the
local Indian leaders, in most
cases, are ready for swift eco
nomic and cultural advances. In
modern times and under modern
conditions, abolition of the area
offices would be impractical. The
Bureau itself Is a vast organiza-
ton and one-to-one relationship
between the Commissioner and
AZ superintendent contradicts
principles of good management
The area offices are intermedi-
ate common institutions which
ought to be vested with road del
egations of authority. They
should exercise supervisory r7w-
ers over the superintendencies
but they should not seek to drsr
to themselves direct operati u
responsibilities which are better
performed at the local level. This
Is not a situation which is pecul.
lar to Indian affairs. Every Gov.
eminent agency with central
office, regional offices, and field
installations has similar prob
lens. The solution, in the opin-
ion of the Task Force, lies in
clear detectives, specific delega-
tons of authority, and continu-
Gus communication between all
the parties in interest.
The Task Force advocates max
imum delegations of authority to
the area offices with a clear un-
derstanding that the fullest
extent possible these delegations
are to be passed on from the area
office to superintendent. The
role OF the area office in pro-
viding technical services which
cannot be practically provided
at the superintendent level
ought to be clearly defined. Ap-
peals should not be permitted
to delay or to avoid difficult de-
cisions.
At various times witnesses rails
ed questions about the location
Of the area offices. The Task
Force Is inclined to agree that
the location and jurisdiction of
these offices are not always in
accordance with principles of
good management, but it feels
that the present arrangement
can be made to work. Among
the possible changes which might
be considered by the Commits