Viewing page 10 of 88

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

MAYOR MULHERN: Jim, your Honor, in accepting this bronze statuette which you have seen fit to present to me, I feel that you are presenting it to the City of Bellingham. Claremore and the Indian race can well be proud of the one whom it represents--Will Rogers. If more of his philosophy was followed, we might not have all of the troubles we are having throughout the globe. I shall treasure this very much as a memento of a convention that has to me been exciting and extremely interesting. I shall treasure it and I shall remember not only his Honor, the Mayor of Claremore, but this National Indian Congress. Justice Johnson, I hope your convention is a success and if we can do anything, don't hesitate to call on us. 

JUSTICE JOHNSON: In March, Governor Youngdahl, of Minnesota, called the conference of Governors of states having Indian populations, for the purpose of trying to work out some plan or program whereby the states might cooperate with the government in Indian welfare. As a result of that conference and that meeting, it was decided that the Governors of these states would be called upon to appoint two councilmen from each state, one of whom should be of Indian blood and be elected by the Indian tribe of that state. Each Indian tribe was to present three names and the Governor would appoint one of them. In keeping with that meeting, a resolution was passed providing that the Governors should send councilmen to Salt Lake City and organize the Interstate Indian Council. The meeting was held and the organization was perfected: a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were appointed and appropriate committees were appointed. This organization now stands ready to give special study to these special questions. The Governor of this state recognized this Council and appointed two citizens along with some fifteen other states. Frank George was Indian representative appointed by Governor Langlie of this state, and the speaker I am going to introduce. I think this organization, the Governors' Interstate Indian Council, is the outgrowth of the program of the National Congress of American Indians. It will bring to the attention of the American people a better understanding of the Indian problem and the Indian people. I think that through our program we have brought about in a large measure this Interstate Council. That can be a very powerful factor in this machine because it sets up a council that can negotiate with the Federal Government. I have the honor to present to you Mr. William K. Moors.  

WILLIAM K. MOORS: Governor Arthur B. Langlie has instructed me to bring you his greetings, best wishes, and word of his sincerest interest in the affairs of the Indian. From the very beginning of what might be termed the new Indian movement, Governor Langlie has been vitally interested in Indian affairs. He personally attended the first exploratory meeting of the Governors of the sixteen states most concerned with Indian affairs, called by Governor Youngdahl of Minnesota, in St. Paul in March, 1950.

It was an outgrowth of that meeting that subsequently, in Salt Lake City, was held the second such meeting. Due to the press of other matters,

-8-