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Download PDF for NMAI-010_002_04_001 (project ID 38397)
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file Ruh 11-19-47 My dear Judge Johnson:- At lest I am able to get off to you suggestions for program for the convention. I intend this to be just a rough outline, and out of your experience you might know whether it is too crowded, or not full enough. I want to be sure enough time is left for discussions, but I feel discussions must be to a purpose, and not just rantings, as sometimes happens if there is not a planned agenda. I suggest you go over this with Ben Dwight, if you think it advisable, and that when you have decided on the final program, that we have about 300 copies mimeographed so that each delegate can have one in his hands when he registers. Also, we should have enough of the legislative issue of the Bulletin on hand to give each delegate a copy so that they will know what and how to discuss the pending legislation. I suggest that you wire Senator Chavez asking him if he will speak at the Convention, and in the wire suggest the topic. He may refuse, for two reasons, Congress is in session on very important legislation, and also right now the Social Security issue is hot in New Mexico and Arizona , stirred up mainly through the activities of the NCAI. He may not feel it expedient to come, and for the same reasons other members of Congress from Arizona and New Mexico may not want to come. In that case we may need to try for some other big name for that evening meeting. You will have ideas on that, I am sure. Now about the Friendship Treaty idea; I think it would be very effective, both from a publicity standpoint and as an appeal to the older Indians, or more Indian groups, to propose that all Indians in the United States sign a treaty of Friendship and mutual help. This would have nothing to do with membership in NCAI, but would be an effort to join all Indians together through treaty agreement and mutual aid. I will have drawn up such a treaty, couched in the old treaty language, ready to use as a model, if the idea catches on. A Committee could be appointed to work out the treaty, and we could have it then written on parchment (which I can bring) ready for the tribes to sign. The treaty would specify that when one tribe is threatened either through bad legislation or in any other way that the other tribes will not [[strikethrough]] [[/strikethrough]] harm them in any way by urging that legislation, and will attempt to assist the threatened in all ways at their command, or some such language.
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