Consolidation of the two Minnesota Indian agencies, now located at Cass Lake and Red Lake, in a new headquarters at Bemidji on December 1 was announced today by Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L. Emmons.
The move, which is expected to result in a saving of about $11,000 a year in operating expenses, will involve only about 15 percent of the Indian Bureau personnel in Minnesota and will be chiefly a consolidation in the over-all direction of the program and in "housekeeping functions" The great majority of employees engaged in providing services to the Indians will. continue to be stationed at Cass Lake, Red Lake, Nett Lake and Warroad.
Establishment of the consolidated agency at Bemidji was informally approved by responsible officers of the Red Lake Band of Chippewas and was formally endorsed by the Executive Council of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe on August 21. Subsequently the Executive Council asked for postponement of the move pending further study. This request, however, was received after the Department had decided to proceed with the merger.
Present superintendent of the Consolidated Chippewa Agency at Cass Lake is J. W. Kaufmann and the superintendent at Red Lake is Richard D. Butts. Superintendent of the new Consolidated Minnesota Agency at Bemidji has not yet been selected.
