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Mr. Chairman and Friends: The Governor of the State of Utah, the Honorable J. Bracken Lee, has asked me to welcome you and to greet you here today. He has proclaimed this a special week and I am going to take the liberty of reading the proclamation to you which he has issued to the citizens of all our State: "Whereas the annual Convention of the National Congress of American Indians in Salt Lake City, September 24 to September 27, 1956 will bring to Utah the native Indian[[crossed out]]s[[/crossed out]] leaders from all over the country and whereas this conference will concern itself with the consideration of problems mutual understanding and help for renewing [[crossed out]]friendship and fellowship[[/crossed out]] the bonds of friendship and fellowship in their common work meetings with officials of federal and state governments on mutual probelsm and cooperation with all other groups, to the end that American Indians generally may have a fuoler and more satisfactory life,wherever they may be, and whereas the people of Utah, from the days of our earliest pioneers, have practiced a friendly policy [[crossed out]]with[[/crossed out]] toward Indians, have tried to [[crossed out]]work[[/crossed out]] learn and understand the attitudes, needs, and cultural values of the Indians of the state, and whereas inorder to give the citizenz of this State official encouragement and support in connection with the continued attitude of the people of the state to be friendly, understanding and helpful in connections with the problems besetting Indians in our society today it is approprite to se t aside special time, now, therefore, I, J. Bracken Lee, Governor of the State of Utah, do hereby proclaim the week of September 24 to 28, 1956 as American Indian Week to be observed by all persons within the State as an occasion [[crossed out]]to[[/crossed out]] of welcome to [[crossed out]]S[[/crossed out]]American Indians convening in Salt Lake City, as an occasion for renewing the study and understanding of Indians and the peculair and difficult problems which face them in modern America. and as an occasion to reaffirm the policy of the State to make Indians the friends of the State and its people, in testimony whereof [[crossed out]]I do[[/crossed out]] I hereof do set my hand and cause to lu affix lu the great seal of the State of Utah, done at the State Capitol, Salt Lake City, this 29th day of August, 1956. (Signed) J. Bracken Lee, Governor of Utah. [[crossed out]]"I am sure[[/crossed out]]