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of assistance and help they need to
achieve their goals. l think within
the very near fut_ure, American In–
dians are going to improve on the
sad statistics that exist today.
Q.
Are the Indians resentful
against white Americans today?
A.
1 don' t think there's any resent–
ment. There is a feeling that a lot
ofwrong has been done. We don't
have the intense animosity that
you call resentment. lt's justa feel–
ing of sadness for what has hap–
pened. We are optimistic that with
those things behind us, we can do
a better job from here on out.
The Navajo plan is to develop
the reservation so that it will begin
to support itself, its people.
Q.
Sorne people have gone so far
as to say that the lndians are the
"forgotten Americans." Would you
agree with that?
A. Yes, to the extent that we have
not been able, and the federal gov–
ernment and Congress have not
been able , to direct a com–
prehensive approach to really at–
tacking the needs of the American
Indians. 1 think that in this respect
we are forgotten. But we are not
totally forgotten because we still
get federal appropriations, and
presidents and Congress still talk
about the Indians. But we are for–
gotten from the standpoint of not
getting the help we need.
Q.
If
you were to sum up the situ–
ation here on the reservation, what
would you say is the greatest single
need today among American
In–
dians?
A. Today's greatest single need
among Indians is to down the high
unemployment rate. I don't mean
give every ludian welfare checks. I
mean give them the same kinds of
employment opportunities and
PLAIN TRUTH February 1973
status that you see across the coun–
try. If this is done, then much of
the need has been overcome. Of
course, this takes into account de–
velopmerit and acquisition of the
necessary mandates, water rights,
and recognition of the American
ludian as a separate entity that
should be allowed to build up to
the same level as what is on the
outside.
Q,
Actually, this is reaUy a nation
within a nation?
A . Yes, we want to leave it that
way because that is the only way
the American Indians are going to
survive. With anything else, there
is the possibility that we are going
to be subject to rhelting in the
same pot that is on the outside.
It
sbould be understood by the
outside world, Congress and the
people of America, that when we
talk about Indians doing things for
themselves, we really mean it. By
this I q¡ean that there are unique
situations. Sorne of the historical,
cultural and traditional signifi–
cance of Indian tribes goes way
back thousands of years. So the
way we think and the way we do
things is not something we've ac–
quired s ince Columbus carne
across the ocean. lt's something
that has been with us, and it's
something that still runs in our
bloodstream. Too often, Congress,
the people of America and state
governments try to do things
uni–
laterally.
As
they conceive in .their
own minds, they think this should
be good for Indians. No one
should ever argue against this,
they reason, because this should be
perfect for the Indians. When they
do this, they are making a serious
mistake.... Believe me, this ap–
proach is not going to solve prob–
lems on Indian reservations, if the
Indians themselves do not have a
handin it.
o
THE
FORGOTTEN
AMERICAN
(Continued from page 41)
deeper causes, which bave been ag–
gravated since the white man's arri–
val on this continent.
White Man Speak with
Forked Tongue
When white Europeans first set
foot on North American soil, the lu–
dian tribes had never heard of the
Bible or Christianity. Thinking that
the Indians needed "conversion,"
white missionaries began tbeir "cru–
sade for Christ."
Missionaries brought education
and literacy to the Indians and
made possible a knowledge of the
world formerly unknown to tbe In–
dians.
But Christianity itself wasn't
made relevant to the Indians be–
cause its bearers themselves failed
to understand and adhere to Bibli–
cal laws. Witness the multitude of
broken treaties, outright líes and
atrocious massacres the Indians suf–
fered under the white man's hand.
All this created a hollow Chris–
tianity in all too many cases. Some–
where, Christ's plain message of
repentance, forgiveness and obedi–
ence to God's laws was not made
plain to the American Indians, since
many white settlers themselves
failed to understand fully Christ's
message and to follow His teach–
ings.
How supposedly "Christian"
white men treated the American In–
dians is a tragic example of failure
and hypocrisy, of speaking one
thing with their mouths but doing
another in their actions. They were
no different from the ludian tribes
that all too commonly warred and
betrayed and massacred each other.
The sirnplicity of Christ's message
43