Of the 31,259 Indian people who have moved away from their reservations to western and Midwestern cities since 1952 with help provided under the relocation services program of the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior, about 70 percent have become self-supporting in their new homes, Commissioner Glenn L. Emmons reported today.
"The highest rate of successful Indian relocations," Mr. Emmons said, it was 16 percent in 1955. The lowest was 61 percent in 1958. Over the whole period since the entirely voluntary program started in February 1952, the rate has been just about 70 percent.
"When we consider the numerous difficulties which many Indians from reservations face in adjusting to the complexities of life in our larger cities, this stands as a highly remarkable record. It shows what Indian people can do in taking their place alongside citizens of other races if they are only given a reasonable opportunity.”
As further evidence of Indian success under the auspices of the relocation services program, Commissioner Emmons cited a recent report made by a four-man committee of the Navajo Tribe of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo group, representing the biggest tribe in the country, visited a large number of relocated Navajo families and single individuals in their new city homes in the latter part of 1959.
Commenting on these visits, Hoska Cronemyer, Chairman of the Navajo committee, had this to say:
"Any program of this size is bound to cause some difficulties. But we resent individuals and organizations taking advantage of these difficulties and exploit19 the victims to fight the Indian Affairs Bureau and the whole relocation program for their purposes or for publicity.
"In general, we think that if a man does the right thing, he'll do all right for himself and his family wherever he is, we think the relocation program is one of the best plans the Federal Government has ever had. Had it been in effect 50 years ago, the Indian would be much better off today.”
Commissioner Emmons also reported "gratifying progress in the Bureau's more recently initiated program to provide adult Indians with vocational training.
"Over a two-year period from the start of the program in February 1958 through the end of December 1959,” he said “2,017 individual Indians have been enrolled at Government expense in vocational schools throughout the country. Of these, 611 have completed their training, 629 have discontinued, and 777 are still in training. In addition, we have a backlog of 778 Indian applicants who are awaiting placement in vocational schools as soon as the funds can be made available.”
