| OCR Text |
Show 6 Page Friday, December 8, 1972 The Ute Bulletin Director Explains Part in BIA Occupancy NCAI II Editors Note: Charles E. Trimble, Oglala Sioux, Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, spoke at a press conference on Nov. 10 at the National Press Club, Washington, D. C. The following are excerpts from his speech. The National Congress of American Indians has never encouraged, condoned, or for justice for Indian participated in tactics of disruption or destruction in our quest NCAI the f constituency in expressing people. I speak for a substantial numbero more importantly, the and, of property abhorrence at the wholesale destruction records relating to reservation destruction and loss of the valuable, irreplaceable land members, of Tribal protection, water rights economic development, enrollment must rely so heavily on which As an matters. organization protection, and other legal the NCAI now broken of treaties, trail historic that such documentation to rectify in its persistent, though undramatic, struggle for faces an immeasureable Indian land rights, water rights, and civil rights. But we have been ever aware that we tread common paths with the leaders of the organizations which comprised the Trail of Broken Treaties March on Washington. It is likely that NCAI, after studying the deep implications of the 20iint position paper and the demands of the Trail of Broken Treaties, would find itself in support of many of the issues which that effort sought to dramatize. And the bond of Indian Mood, Indian Brotherhood, is strong. Prior to the planned activities of the Trail of Broken Treaties, the NCAI sought to open lines of communication among all Indian organizations which comprise the Indian community of the capital, and among the various governmental agencies involved in Indian Affairs. We called two meetings with representation from those Indian organizations and the Government agencies. During these meetings, we attempted enlist the cooperation of the Indian organizations and the Government agencies, to assure the orderly conduct of the religious and traditional observances which the trail of broken treaties intended, ostensibly, to conduct. These efforts failed, largely due to the apathy of the Government agencies involved, although the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health, Education clock hospitalization and first and Welfare, did make arrangements for Around-thset-bac- k Artifacts removed from display cases-rubbis- h left in return e aid services. During the disruptions, NCAI had no active participation in the activities, although Leon Cook, the NCAI President, was asked by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to come to Washington to act as a possible intermediary in initial negotiations. This effort was not successful, again due to lack of support on the part of high level Interior Department officials of the Commissioner's efforts and an apparent state of the activist negotiators. In the very late stages of negotiations between White House staff members and representatives of the Trail of Broken Treaties, the National Congress of American Indians was asked to serve as a conduit to channel moneys for transportation, via the automobile caravans, of the demonstrators to their homes. These funds would be economic development program. The terms channeled through NCAI's of the agreement, and the amount of money, were established in negotiations, between the White House and the Trail of Broken Treaties. The National Congress of American Indians would only serve as a conduit for the delivery of those funds. No NCAI funds were transmitted. After receiving assurance that these funds would not be made as a pay off at the expense of any existing or future reservation program or urban Indiand programs, NCAI agreed to serve as that conduit to channel the amount of 866,650 to representatives of the demonstration for distribution by them. I repeat No NCAI funds were used and NCAI sought, and received, assurance that these funds would not be paid at the expense of Indian programs now or in the future. I repeat that the National Congress of American Indians abhors the destruction of property and valuable Indian records and faces immeasureable hardship in its efforts to defend Indian rights and Indian lands. Although some of the participants of the Trail of Broken Treaties related the destruction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Egyptian Mythological-Phoenix- the lone bird that rises more beautiful out of the ashes of its own destruction, we in NCAI find it difficult to perceive such reconstruction and effective restructuring within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. We have seen the operations of the Administration and the Interior Department during the confrontations and negotiations with the Indian marchers and we are now observing an internal power struggle within the Bureau of Public Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Prior to the Trail of Broken Treaties activities, the Federal Government failed to appreciate, comprehend, and prepare for eventualities. It is our understanding, from reliable sources within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that directives were issued, by high level Bureau of Land Management officials, that no cooperation would be given, nor negotiations held, with the marchers. This attitude furthered the atmosphere which ultimately fled to the destruction. During the disruptions, federal negotiators worked to meet the demands of the marchers while high level interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs action only lend credence to the strong repressive measures. Such accusations made by the activists. And at this very time, in the most sinister atmosphere imaginable, the Interior Department, The Bureau of Land Management, in conjunction with the vice president's own national council on Indian opportunity, is working clandestinely to muster Tribal Leaders for the defense of the Administration. Their efforts are to place the blame of the recent disruptions on the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Their tactics can only serve to further polarize the Indian community of this nation and sever that thread of hope that is the common cause of justice for all Indian over-the-brin- Seemingly nothing left untouched by Militants OEO-funde- d Tribal Leaders Denounce Militants rihal chairmen who have denounced of the American Indian M emiT.i ami t nt Trail of Broken Trea-li- t s include; Hruee Townsend, President, Oklahoma Inter irihal Council; Buffalo Titter. Chairman Miccosukee Tribe of Ini ia ns of Florida; U. Bob Stopp, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma; Joseph Upicksoun, cresident, Artie Slope Regional Corporation; II. Lee Mot ah, President, United Trills Western Oklahoma and Kansas; Peter 1. Maslen Jr., Chairman, Hoopa Valley Business Council, floopa Valley Tribe; James Ilenry, Tribal Chairman, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa; Leo Pete. Chairman, Goshute Tribal Council, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Ibapah, Utah; Francis Wyas-kechairman, Ute Indian Tribe, Fort Duchesne, Utah; Robert Jim Chairman, Yakima Tribal Council; Washington; Enos '1 rii-en- : - t, Francisco Jr., vice-chairma- Papago, Sells, Ariz.; Governor Robert E. Lewis, Zuni Pueblo; Earl Old Person, Blackfeet, Montana; Clarence C. Hamilton, Chairman of Hopi Tribal Council; Paul Smith, vice Council of president of the Inter-TribArizona and President of the Salt River Indian Community Council; Don Ant one Sr., President of the Inter-TribCouncil of Arizona; David J. Stewart, Chairman, Crow Tribal Council, Montana; Fred Houle Jr., Secretary of the Confederated Tribes, Tribal Council of the Confederated Kootenai and Salish Tribes; Pima-Maricop- k a Olney Pratt, chairman, Confederate Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation; Richard Wilson, president, Oglala Sioux Tribe, South Dakota; and Robert S. Barley, Chairman, Cocopah Tribe. two-face- d people. This the National Congress of American Indians abhors. We have utmost faith in the leadership of our Tribal Chairmen and we look to them for reject the sinister and clandestine tactics of the conservative bureaucracy. We offer the hand of Brotherhood to rebuild our place in the Govenment, a place reconstructed to our needs " desires. We call upon the National Tribal Chairmen's Association to join with the National Congress of American Indians to form an impact survey team to assess the damages of the recent upheaval and to make constructive plans for the future of Indian Country. Plan to Attend Valuable documents litter hallways of BIA Building INDIAN MARKET DAY Randlett Gym 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow Buy, Sell or Trade any Items Sat. Dec. 9 |
