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Following this period, D'Arcy McNickle, Flathead and Chairman of the Tribal Relations Committee addressed the delegates. His speech, entitled "A Ten-Point Program for American Indians" developed out the following elements in a program for the National Congress of American Indians:

1. For each reservation there should be a masterplan, based on complete surveys of all resources above and below the ground, including water resources, and plans should be developed to obtain maximum family subsistence from the resources.

2. Requests for appropriations should be supported in all major details by reference to the priorities and requirements of the reservation plan.

3. Requests should be submitted to Congress immediately for authority, if needed, and in any case for funds, to carry out the necessary investigations and to prepare plans for Indian lands lying within the major river drainage basins.

4. Funds should be requested to carry out timber surveys on Indian forest lands and to prepare programs for the orderly harvesting of Indian timber.

5. An adequate revolving credit fund should be established to permit Indians to acquire the livestock and the farm equipment necessary to make full utilization of the lands still in their ownership, and a greater degree of responsibility should be placed in the hands of Indian tribes to handle credit funds.

6. An adequate land-purchase fund should be made available to permit Indian tribes to buy up heirship lands and lands in non-Indian ownership where these are strategically located with reference to water and other Indian land holdings, with reimbursement to the United States on terms at least as favorable as those accorded farm tenants under existing law.

7. The immediate transfer to tribal ownership of submarginal lands acquired with emergency relief funds for Indian use.

8. A program of on-the-farm and one-the-job training, comparable to the GI training programs, with Federal financing.

9. A promulgation of a national policy with respect to the taking of Indian lands for public purposes.

10. Immediate modification of the Indian liquor law.

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