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of war bonds and manpower to the prosecution of the war than any other comparable group within the nation. The National Congress of American Indians sponsored law suits assailing the constitutionality of the laws of the states which denied the Indians the right to vote. We vigorously supported and sponsored the Indian Claims Commission set where Indian claims might be more speedily adjudicated. We have rendered assistance to many tribes to protect their property rights. We are working for the development of a program for the readjustment of the administration of Indian affairs more in keeping with present day needs. To this and we have collaborated with Indian tribes and individuals, Congressional committees and set with various denominational groups and non-Indian organizations interested in general welfare of Indians to get their views to aid us in the formulation of a constructive program.
The American Indian wants most of all just to be an American citizen. He wants to assume the responsibilities of citizenship and to enjoy the privileges of citizenship. This he is entitled to. We no longer want to be pictured as renegades or hostiles or in terms of old fashioned history. We want the American people to know of the important contributions the Indian people have made to white civilizations and white culture. The Indian taught the white man how to cope with the wilderness of this new continent. Taught him how to hunt, fish, trap and canoe. The Indians gave the white man the great gift of cotton, corn, tomatoes, peanuts, beans, squash, tobacco and potatoes, and these have today become multibillion dollar American industries.
Too many Indians have bad lands, bad health, poverty and death in return. It is our hope through the marshaling of Indian leadership and 
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