people get married and have no place to go or no place to build a home. And so, supposing a certain relative was making his way pretty well, instead of the children going away and making their way, they go and double themselves up until the old man is finally broke.' He said if the Indians had some way to secure 40 to 80 acres for a homestead, it would be all the opportunity they would need. So the wheel has turned: the people who once possessed all the land now have nothing or are crowded into worthless corners of the Nation, while their birthrate climbs. "What can be done? The Government has a little pilot plant for making jewel bearings for ordnance at Rolla, near the Turtle Mountain Reservation. It employs 70 or 80 Indians at from 90 to 95 cents an hour. The Chippewa workers are rarely late, even in subzero winter, and seem to appreciate the opportunity for employment. People who know the situation best seem to think it would be a good thing for the Indians if more plants needing many hands were to employ people at or near their homes. But neither the Indians nor the local communities possess the means, the knowledge, and salesmanship required to persuade industries to come to this nonindustrial area, whose only resource is people. It is not clear how industrialization can take root here. Yet we are trying to help people in India and other lands where the problem is similar to that in North Dakota: i. e., industrialize. Why not some point 4 for the United States of America? "EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED "A second possibility for employment is in the surrounding area. A small proportion of the Indians do farm labor and toil on road and dam building, but the same economic forces that are causing the white population of North Dakota to move away are reducing the number of jobs available to Indians. North Dakota for several years has had a State commission on Indian affairs, capably served by Attorney John B. Hart, its executive director. Mr. Hart led the opposition in the State to the Federal bill which if passed would have terminated Federal wardship responsibility for the Turtle Mountain Chippewas. He has also worked hard to persuade North Dakota employers to hire Indian workers. The commission is more than earning what it costs the State by its representation of Indian interests to the State and of the commonwealth to the Indians. But it has not the resources to solve the problem of Chippewa poverty. "A third solution which has been offered is that of the Federal Indian Bureau, which has begun a modest program of relocation. As yet it is carried out on a scale so small that it does not begin to keep abreast of the increase of population, to say nothing of reducing the pressure of Indian population on the means of subsistence. Enough has been done to learn that it costs over $200 to relocate a family or almost $100 an individual, that it has to be done with the young and those with small families. Of the 21 families relocated in 1953, 8 had returned by the winter of 1954. Repeated failures of this kind indicate that a more thorough and perceptive program of prelocation training is needed for the Indian, and a more careful preparation of the main receiving communities near and far. "What can the churches do? Most of the Turtle Mountain Chippewas are Roman Catholic, as were their French Canadian-Indian forebears. That church has an important mission at St. Anne's and has many Chippewa children in school. One branch of Lutherans has a mission at Dunseith, in an area where an Episcopal mission was once maintained. The churches could do a great deal in helping prepare white communities for friendly reception of Indians who relocate. It seems likely that before they can really come to grips with the poverty of this Indian community they will have to set up an organization comparable to Church World Service and go about the task with the zeal and intelligence with characterized the relocation in this country of displaced persons from Europe. "It is not a figure of speech to say that many Indians, of whom the Turtle Mountain Chippewas are only one example, have been made aliens in their own land by the dominant newcomer race. How long will they have to say: 'I was a stranger and you did not take me in; I was hungry and you did not give me food; in rags and you did not clothe me; without work and you did not help me help myself?" In years past the Federal Government established many work projects on Indian reservations of this country such as the CCC-ID, PWA, WPA, and finally the Roads Division. These projects afforded the first large scale opportunity for Indians to acquire skills and semiskills. Work habits, self-confidence, and a sense of responsibilities developed together with these special work skills under these programs have enabled many Indian people to be successful and substantial operators both on and off their reservations. Hence, relieving the unemployment situation even for a limited period of time on Indian reservations solves many problems. It is my sincere request on behalf of the Indian tribes and groups in the United States and Alaska, and the National Congress of American Indians that an amendment be drafted and added to this bill so as to make it possible for Indian tribes to bring their reservations and communities under the purposes of this bill. As another great and leading Christian magazine, "America" recently put it: "The tribe that wants to live together must be helped to live well, together." Senator DOUGLAS. Do you remember the figure which the last census gives as the total size of the Indian population in the country? Mr. GARRY. Roughly I believe it is in the neighborhood of 400,000. Mr. GARRY. I couldn't say exactly. I do not have the figures, sir. Mr. GARRY. Yes, sir. I think it is safe to say that more than half are living on reservations. Senator DOUGLAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Garry, I appreciate that. You can do a great deal, in the country as a whole, in getting people to know more about Senate 2663 and the possibilities under it; as I have remarked to previous witnesses, I quite agree with you about the amendments and to the degree that I have any voice in the final drafting of the bill, these changes or appropriate changes will be made. Thank you very, very much. Mr. GARRY. Thank you, Senator. Senator DOUGLAS. The final witness this morning is the general secretary of the Indian Rights Association, of Philadelphia, Pa., Mr. Lawrence E. Lindley. (The following resolution was received for the record:) RESOLUTION No. 1, 13TH ANNUAL CONVENTION, NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS, WASHINGTON, D. C. A STATEMENT OF NCAI POLICY Be it resolved by the National Congress of American Indians, in convention assembled, September 24 to 28, 1956, Salt Lake City, Utah, that Whereas the Government of the United States has the primary responsibility for the ultimate adjustment of the affairs of the Indian people, a responsibility vested in the National Government by provisions of the Federal Constitution and made specific in numerous treaties, agreements, acts of Congress, and regulatory measures; and Whereas, in its efforts to carry out its responsibility in this field, the United States has depended too exclusively on law and regulation as the means of dealing with complex human problems, and at times has even resorted to the exercise of its full legal authority to enforce decisions which later proved to be erroneous and harmful to the interests of the Indian people; and Whereas it is our firm belief that many decisions affecting Indian welfare can only effectively be made by the people whose lives and property are at stake and not by individuals in positions of authority, however well trained in special fields such individuals may be; and Whereas we are well aware of the earnest desire of the Congress of the United States and of the executive branch of the Government to bring about the honorable discharge of the responsibilities and obligations assumed by the United States, and we, speaking for Indian tribes and many individual Indians of the United States and Alaska, having a desire to promote the ultimate adjustment of Indian life ways within the larger American community in a manner to preserve Indian cultural values; and Whereas the declaration of national policy stated in House Concurrent Resolution 108 (83d Cong.) is a flagrant example of an attempt to solve complex social, economic, cultural, and legal problems by merely legalistic means; Now, therefore, we urge the immediate repeal of House Concurrent Resolution 108 (83d Cong.) and the substitution therefor of the following as a statement of national policy and as a guide to administrative action : 1. A plan of development be prepared for each reservation, pueblo, colony, village, or other designation by which Indians of the United States and Alaska are recognized and under which designation lands or other assets are held in trust, whether such lands or assets are fully defined or not, such plans to be designed to bring about maximum utilization of physical resources by the de pendent population and the development of that population to its full potential such plans to be prepared by the Indians of the respective groups, with authority to call upon agencies of the Federal Government for technical assistance, and the ultimate purpose of such planning to be the growth and development of the resources of the people rather than the heedless termination of Federal responsi bility for such people; 2. That requests for annual appropriations of funds be based on the require ments for carrying into effect these individual development plans, and the annual operating budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to include sufficient funds to carry out the program needs of each planning group; 3. That such annual budgets include adequate funds to provide for the credit needs and for capital investment required for the full development of Indian resources; 4. That determinations with respect to the disposition of property or any actions which may affect treaty rights or agreements be based on agreement be tween an Indian tribe or group and the United States; 5. That any transfer of services now provided by the United States for the benefit of Indians be jointly planned with the Indians; 6. That Public Law 280 (83d Cong.) be modified to provide that the assump tion by States of jurisdiction in criminal and civil actions in Indian reservations be brought about only after negotiation between a State and an Indian tribe and only to the extent from time to time agreed upon by the Indian tribe; and 7. That the Indian groups be kept fully advised at all stages of pending legisla tion in which their interests may be involved and that the Secretary of the Interior likewise keep them advised of regulatory measures which may be proposed for adoption, and accord full opportunity to the Indian groups and their repre sentatives to be heard and have their needs and views considered in the formula. tion, modification, or repeal of regulatory measures. Senator DOUGLAS. The next witness is Mr. William Zimmerman, Association of American Indian Affairs. Mr. Zimmerman, I am always confused between the association which has its headquarters in Philadelphia and the other association which has, I think, its headquarters in New York. I should be able to separate these in my mind, but I always am confused. Now which organization— STATEMENT OF WILLIAM ZIMMERMAN, ASSOCIATION OF Mr. ZIMMERMAN. I represent the organization which has its headquarters in New York. Its president is Oliver LaFarge, of whom you undoubtedly know. Senator DOUGLAS. I don't know him, but I have read his books. Mr. ZIMMERMAN. Do you want any identification about the Indian Rights Association? Senator DOUGLAS. No, I think your identification is adequate and complimentary. Mr. ZIMMERMAN. My name is William Zimmerman. I am field director for the Association of American Indian Affairs. Mr. Chairman, there are many witnesses here who want to talk about the difficulties that the Indians face today. If I may, I would prefer to address myself to the text of the bill, S. 964. I will be happy to answer questions about any other aspect, but I prefer, if I may, just to confine myself to that. Senator DOUGLAS. That is supposed to be the primary purpose this day. The chairman has deviated from that quite frequently. Mr. ZIMMERMAN. That is your prerogative certainly, sir. for It seems to me first that S. 964 is the preferable text. I am in serious doubt as to whether or not Indian tribes or Indian reservations would be eligible under the other bill, S. 1433. I point out that it is necessary-some of the language which is incorporated in S. 964 with specific reference to Indian tribes is necessary-because the tribes and the reservation are not political subdivisions of the State and the reservation may not even be a part of the county. It may actually be excluded from the county. So, some clarification of that kind is needed. I strongly urge that the language that appears in your bill, notably on page 11 in line 12 and on page 13 in line 17-I strongly urge that that language be retained. Senator DOUGLAS. That was the language to which I called the attention of the Commissioner. Mr. ZIMMERMAN. I have one suggestion to make for the committee's consideration as a possible amendment. The bill, when it talks about making grants, authorizes the Administrator to use his discretion in effect by saying that the contribution to a grant may be determined by the Administrator in proportion to the ability of the requesting agency. Now in the language relating to loans, there is a requirement that the requesting unit or agency shall put up not less than 10 percent nor more than 25 percent of the cost. It would be my judgment that many Indian tribes could not even put up a 10 percent minimum. Furthermore, you might have a difficulty to face if the reservation were included in a certified area as is provided in this bill because you might find that the remainder of the county or the State would not be willing to put up a corresponding share which would be required under that provision. Senator DOUGLAS. Do you have a suggested alternative? Mr. ZIMMERMAN. Well, my suggestion would be that in line 19 on page 12 "shall" be changed to "may" and that the words beginning with "less" and running to the end of the line "less than 10 percent nor" be stricken. That would leave discretion, I think, in the Administrator to require not more than 25 percent. Senator DOUGLAS. Of course, the difficulty with that is that in trying to take care of the more difficult situation in which the Indian tribes are, you lower the barrier for everybody, and we are trying to stimulate local participation wherever possible. Mr. ZIMMERMAN. I fully agree that that is desirable, but I am fearful that you might find Indians included. Senator DOUGLAS. Would you say that in grants in the case of Indian tribes other special arrangements may be made? Mr. ZIMMERMAN. I could visualize the possibility where even nonIndian communities might have difficulty in making a contribution. I don't think it is necessary, Senator Douglas, to repeat in detail the need that the Indians have for this type of assistance. The existing authorities that the Bureau has, in my judgment, do not meet the particular need which this bill would provide, and I certainly hope that it will receive favorable consideration. Senator DOUGLAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Zimmerman. The next witness is Mrs. Dave LaMere, Hill 57, Great Falls, Mont. Very glad to have you, Mrs. LaMere. 91201-57-pt. 1- -51 STATEMENT OF MRS. DAVE LAMERE, MOUNT ROYAL ADDITION ON HILL 57, GREAT FALLS, MONT. Mrs. LAMERE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Mrs. Dave LaMere. I live on Hill 57 in Great Falls, Mont., but I am a member of Rocky Boy's Reservation, 117 miles from there. My family belongs to the Chippewa Tribe and we came originally from Minnesota. My husband is a Chippewa from North Dakota. He has no reservation. Our six children are enrolled wards of Rocky Boy's Reservation. The Business and Professional Women of Great Falls sent me here to talk for my children and all the wards away from reservations, since the Douglas bill recognizes only Indians who live on or near reservations. Everybody here seems to have heard about Hill 57. At home we understood that Senators Murray and Mansfield were trying to get us recognized-and I guess they did. On Hill 57 we are not too anxious for redevelopment projects for city Indians like us, but we know that the industries you bring to reservations will help us directly. First: Industries on the reservations and public projects like housing would enable us to go back home to our people. We would a thousand times rather be with them than in the cities, and we are not interested at all in the offer of Commissioner Emmons that we relocate to Los Angeles. We have heard too much about it from the relocatees who have returned. My brother is one; staying in my house right now. Besides, Montana may be a place where white people are glad to be from, but not for us Indians. Montana is the place where we are glad to be. Second: Even if we did stay in town, a payroll on the reservation from the Douglas redevelopment bill would stop the starving and save us a lot of worry about our old folks when the men go off the reservation to work. Moreover, the people at home would not be tempted to sell us out and lose the land and its valuable resources for our children. We could keep our mind on making good ourselves. It is the same with Indians as it is with ballplayers. They need a home base if people expect them to make home runs. Third: Our children need their own kind of people. And the Douglas bill recognizes that Indians are a people in their own right. We want our young people to be proud of the reservations and their families. They get a better start among them. I am going to send my daughter to an Indian school next year even if she has been going to Great Falls schools all her life. Fourth As Dick Charles, research student of the College of Great Falls, says: "Indians on Hill 57 are hospitality poor." I never thought of it that way, but I do know that in the past 3 years the Indians have been pouring into town looking for work. This kind of relocation makes Hill 57 as big as the reservations: Rocky Boy's, Blackfeet, Turtle Mountain, and Fort Belknap. Lots of new families are on Hill 57 now from these places. Last summer I took in my sister16 of us in 2 rooms-and later my two brothers. I talked for them to get work but some didn't get it. They all went home by winter, but I was out $180 in groceries and $25 for gasoline. They would do |