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of Navajo Indians on lands that belong to the Mohave and Chemehuevi Indians of the Colorado River Reservation. The government contends that they don't have to pay these Indians for the land that is being given to the Mavajo. Their contention is based on an ordinance that was passed several years ago, at the time when the Indian Office was preventing the Indians from getting adequate legal advice.

After years of struggle, the Indians managed to get their own attorneys approved by the Indian Office. These attorneys contend that the ordinance is subject to repeal and does not bind the Indians. They contend that the Indidns do not have to give up thousand of acres of land without receiving its value, either by sale or lease, and that the land should not be taken from the Indians without their consent.

The colorado River Indians also were the victims of an illegal trespass upon their lands during the war. Thousands of Japanese were housed there, without the Indians' consent. The government has never paid these people the value of the use of the land. It is now attempting to take the houses that were built on the land, which buildings, according to the Indians' lawyers, belong not to the government but to the Indians.

The officers of the National Congress of American Indians have helped the delegation of Colorado River Indians that came to Washington to argue their case before the former Commissioner of Indian Affairs. It is to be hoped that the new Commissioner will make a settlement that will be satisfactory to the Indians concerned.

Credit

Many tribes have complained that they do not get their fair share of the funds appropriated for the Indian Credit Fund. If they complain, they are told that they cannot have any more credit because the money has been allotted to other tribes. If they ask what tribes the money has been allotted to, they are told that they cannot have this information. Just as the Commissioner has provided for full information to be given to the tribes regarding the money to be appropriated to them, the tribes should also be given full information in advance regarding the division among the tribes of the available credit funds.

Delegations

The quality of Indian delegations to Washington has continued to improve. In the old days, Indians used to come to Washington thoroughly confused about their purposes and methods to be used in achieving them. Having no place else to get advice, they would go to the Indian Office. There they would often be induced to forget about any complaints they might have had. Many of these delegations, if they accomplished anything during their trips to Washington, would merely help the Indian Office to get its appropriations increased.

Now that the delegations have help from the NCAI, they usually stick to their purposes and get a fair hearing of the views they were sent to Washington to express. Now there is much less time wasted by these delegations. When they go back to their reservations they usually have some concrete achievements to report to their constituents.

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