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Advisory Committee on Indian Affairs

This Committee was set up by former Secretary Krug. Two of your leaders, Mrs. Ruth Muskrat Bronson and Mr. Louis Bruce were named to serve on it. This committee could have been very useful as a means for getting the Indians and the Department together. However, the Department urged that the committee adopt a policy of strict secrecy concerning its proceedings and recommendations. The result was serious embarrassment to the Indians on the Committee. It was impossible for them properly to represent the Indians without consulting other Indian leaders. Nobody can properly represent the Indians and keep important secrets from them. Your representatives on this body did their very best but could not be effective under these circumstances.

While thus preventing the Committee from making its deliberations public, the Department followed a practice of itself making public whatever part of its recommendations it saw fit. Thus, if the Department was criticised, the recommendations were kept secret. If the Department was praised, the recommendations were given to the newspapers. This turned the Committee, in effect, into a group of stooges for the Department. Since the Committee was composed of very high type individuals, this situation could not continue for long. The Committee seems now to be inactive. There has not been a meeting for many months.

A bill was introduced last year to provide for administrative expenses for the Committee. The bill passed the House but has not passed the Senate. Since the Indians have not been enthusiastic about the Committee, there is not much prospect of its being adopted. If the Committee dies, it will have few mourners.

This illustrates the possible danger of acceptance by Indian leaders of federal and state appointments. Often times Indians can do a lot of good in such positions. But it is hard for them to have two masters: (a) the Indians they represent, and (b) the Secretary, the Governor, the Superintendent, the Commissioner, or whatever other officer appoints them to the position and therefore supervises or controls their activities

Arrow

Your attorneys have worked closely with the officers of the NCAI in the reorganization of the corporation known as Arrow. This organization was first established for the purpose of raising money from non-Indians to promote the interests of Indians. At the last convention, it was decided that the NCAI would sponsor the organization but only on condition that it would be under the control of the officers of this organization. A corporate charter was prepared and issued under which control of the corporation is vested in the business committee of the NCAI. Several meetings of the corporation have been attended by your attorneys and various kinds of legal help have been given.

Claims

During the period since the last convention, the United States

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