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Sioux Sanatorium Rapid City, South Dakota April 16, 1949 Mr. William Firethunder - President Oglala Sioux Council Pine Ridge, South Dakota Dear Firethunder: I am really happy to write you this letter because of the splendid cooperation we are having in connection with the National Congress Convention Plans. We met with Mr. Chew, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Convention Committee and Manager of the Alex Johnson Hotel and he has certainly gone all-out to make this convention the best ever. He has offered the hotel as our convention headquarters and stated we could do anything we wanted to with the lobby, that is we can have our counter of bead work from the Fort Thompson Arts and Crafts and the Pine Ridge group as well the display you mentioned one woman wanted to offer for the interest of the delegates. Also he stated that they had the group already selected who will take care of the registration, that is the typists, they also have the badges, with Mount Rushmore on it and with a slot for the printed name to be inserted, this is a wonderful souvenir as well as useful, attractive means for displaying the name of each delegate. He also said that the hotel would serve the banquet for $1.50 if you have the meat already ordered. I told him you have that fixed but he thought it should be in their coolers about 10 days before. They have a very large ballroom they use with the facilities for the musical we are going to present during the banquet. He is also arranging for the use of the high school auditorium for the convention and the use of the city auditorium for our intertainments [[entertainments]], and for anything else we might want it for. He wanted to have a real live wire publicity man appointed so he could work with him. This will be taken over the air and in the newspaper here. We could appoint someone from the Council if satisfactory with you. He is also going to see the Black Hills Transportation Company about busses for the trip to Rushmore. The Alex Johnson has bought a full-page ad in the convention program for $50.00 and we were wondering if we should not go right ahead and contact the rest of the merchants here and set that money aside as the convention fund and get their ads lined up: How many can you use? Here it cost $50.00 for a full page ad, [[strikethrough]] $3.00 [[/strikethrough]] $30.00 for 1/2 page and $17.50 for 1/4 page. We can get these easily if we knew how many you can use. The Alex Johnson is setting aside 300 rooms and as Mr. Chew is also Chairman of the Tourist Association he said he could get all the rooms necessary that we could not have to worry about this. It's wonderful how they have this worked out here. I guess our biggest work will [[strikethrough]] X [strikethrough]] be the Indian village and the exhibits at the fair grounds as the intertainment [[entertainment]] for the delegates, and all others attending the convention. Should I write Governor Michelson for a date on September 22, when you said he would make the welcoming address? Also are any of those Indians connected with pictures such as Will Rogers Jr., coming, if so how can we find out for sure. This would make wonderful publicity. How about Governors from surrounding states, are you inviting them? I had planned to make your Council meeting this week but just then I get penicillin poisoning so have been flat in bed. Sincerely, EJN.
