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ARTICLE I

To change the name of the National Congress of American Indians to "National Council of American Indian Tribes, Inc." would be a grievous mistake. The name "National Congress of American Indians" has become such a trade name and has become so established in the minds and hearts of the American people, including Indians, that its change would cause untold confusion in the good will, confidence, loyalties and affections built up through 15 years of use. It is on the index cards of reference sources throughout the country and in the consciousness of almost everybody having anything to do with Indians and Indian affairs. This we can say with assurance from the phone calls and correspondence that come into the NCAI office. 

We have seen that congressmen, government officials and people of the National Congress of American Indians -- as to what its views may be and as to what it might do -- whenever long-range policies affecting Indians are under consideration. They have come to accept the National Congress of American Indians as representing Indians unselfishly and truly without that air of self-service, organization first and Indians next, often discernible in the operation of so-called national Indian interest organizations. 

If the purpose of the change is to drive home the awareness that our organization is essentially one of American Indian tribes, we could accomplish it by simple change in Article I as follows:

The name of this organization shall be the National Congress of American Indians, a corporation of American Indian tribes, with headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In the Washington, D.C., telephone directory there is only one "National Congress" and it is the "National Congress of American Indians", but there are 18 "National Councils" of one sort or another. 

Paschal Sherman