OPA

Acting Secretary of the Interior John A. Carver Jr. today announced the resignation of Philleo Nash as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, effective March 15, 1966.

Mr. Nash, a former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, was nominated by President Kennedy as Commissioner of Indian Affairs in August 1961.

Prior to this appointment he served for five months as a member of the Indian Affairs Task Force named by Secretary Udall.

In addition to serving as lieutenant governor of Wisconsin from 1959 to 1961, Nash was a special assistant to President Truman from 1946 to 1953. For four years prior to his White House assignment, he was a special assistant to the Director of War Information, the late Elmer Davis.

As a student and lecturer in anthropology, Nash has had an active interest in Indian affairs throughout his career. Born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., in 1909, he was graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1932 and received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago five years later. From 1937 to 1941 he was a lecturer on anthropology at the University of Toronto.

Mr. Carver expressed appreciation for Nash's service to the Department and Indian people. "The last five years have been constructive ones, in education, in economic development, and in resource management," Carver said. "Mr. Nash has been a fine leader, and has enjoyed the confidence of the Indian people."

The text of Mr. Nash's letter of resignation to President Johnson and the President's response is attached.

United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Washington, D.C. 20242

March 9, 1966

Dear Mr. President:

Respectfully I submit my resignation as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. If it is agreeable with you, I would hope that it could be effective on March 15.

I do this most regretfully; my five years' association with the Indian tribes and their reservations have been filled with the happiest of relationships with the Indian people and their leaders.

Your administration has been one marked with understanding of the Indian people and responsive to their need. It has been mindful of its opportunities and its obligations. I have been proud to serve it.

In recent months, we have been fully committed in the War on Poverty, particularly the War on Indian Poverty. Much has been accomplished; much remains to be done.

Although I have become convinced that the success of programs for Indian betterment throughout the whole government will be better served with different leadership, I nevertheless remain committed to you and to the program, and pledge my support to both.

Construction of a new elementary school at Cottonwood, Ariz., to accommodate upwards of 450 Indian children, is scheduled to begin soon, The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced today the award of a building contract for $1,359,828.

Children in the area of Blue Gap, Tachee, Smoke Signal, Whippoorwill and Cottonwood, who have all been attending trailer schools, will use the new Cottonwood School when it is completed.

The construction contract calls for a 15-classroom building; multi-purpose building; fire station and garage; storage facilities; generator building and pump house and 18 homes and two duplex apartments for staff. Outside work includes a water system with 150,000 gallon reservoir, sewage system with lagoons, electrical system with a relocation of existing generators and site improvements.

The successful bidder was Medley Construction Company of Albuquerque, N. Mex. Seven higher bids, ranging from $1,392,000 to $1,568,500 were received.

Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall has commended the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona for setting aside 7,400 acres of reservation land around Mount Baldy as a primitive area.

The effect of the tribal resolution is to preserve the Indian-owned lands against timber cutting and vehicular traffic for at least five years.

Affected by the resolution is a block of land in the Mount Baldy region which adjoins another 7,400-acre area in the Apache National Forest, currently under study by the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service for possible inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Formal designation of this national forest tract as a wilderness area can be accomplished only if the Secretary of Agriculture, the President, and Congress take affirmative action.

Secretary Udall noted that the Indian-owned tract includes lands long regarded as sacred by the White Mountain Apache tribe.

"I consider it highly appropriate that the tribe, under the leadership of Chairman Lester Oliver, has acted on its own to preserve its portion of this magnificent region,” Udall said. "As an Arizonan and a firm believer in the Wilderness concept, I hope the Government's adjoining lands will meet the necessary tests and become part of the National Wilderness Preservation System created by Congress in 1964."

The Mount Baldy area of the Apache National Forest has been designated as a Primitive Area by the Forest Service since 1932. In this status it has been undeveloped, but its future preservation does not have the full sanction which formal Wilderness designation would give.

The White Mountain Apache primitive area will remain tribally owned and managed.

In its resolution, the tribe specified that the designated Indian-owned primitive area "shall not be subject to any development or timber cutting and vehicular traffic, with the exception of fire control traffic." Tribal game wardens are to enforce the resolution. Another provision of the order states that retention of the area will not otherwise conflict with the management of the Fort Apache Timber Company, a major tribal enterprise which harvests timber on much of the 1.6-million-acre reservation.

The action was recommended by the Fort Apache Reservation Development Committee, a joint tribal-Federal body. A review at the end of five years is provided for.

With American families taking to the highways in greater numbers every year, often in search of a scenic trail or a restful campsite, Indian reservations are putting up welcome signs.

American Indians have discovered that they are the owners of some of the most scenic, unspoiled and undeveloped real estate to be found. As business men, they are turning these natural beauties into profits, with financial and technical aid from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Although there is small chance that another group of Indians like the Agua Caliente band of Southern California will suddenly find themselves the owners of a resort like Palm Springs, there unquestionably are opportunities for Indians to tap the increasing flow of American travel business.

The very remoteness of most Indian reservations may be making them more attractive to persons who want to escape the crowds which now besiege the better known parks and scenic wonders. Some reservations, moreover, have fishing and hunting resources which are still relatively untouched.

In many cases, facilities are simple campground accommodations. In other places visitors be installed in a luxurious lodge with every comfort.

Travelers are a familiar sight to the Cherokees of North Carolina, whose reservation boasts fine trout fishing, museums, a typical Indian village, and a tribally operated lodge and restaurant. The drama “Unto These Hills,” based on episodes in Cherokee history, is presented in an outdoor theatre during the summer months and is an outstanding production.

In Florida, the Seminoles exhibit and sell their natives arts and crafts on their reservation at Dania.

The Miccosukees, kin to the Seminoles are also in business. They are descendants of Seminoles and Creeks who hid in the Everglades to escape the armed forces sent by President Andrew Jackson to enforce a land exchange treaty moving Florida Indians across the Mississippi. The group still calls the Everglades home. Recently organized as a tribal group in order to receive Federal aid, the Miccosukees are now the proud and successful owners of a beautiful restaurant -- the only one on: the Tamiami Trail, a highway that slices across the State from Miami to Tampa. Soon they will provide motel accommodations as well.

Vacationers in the Western States have even greater choices. A traveler might swing through Oklahoma, once known as the Indian Territory, in time for the American Indian Exposition at Anadarko each July. Sponsored by the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma, this event features dances, exhibits, and displays of arts and crafts, and attracts thousands.

Continuing on to the Southwest, there is an Indian welcome waiting in New Mexico and Arizona. States with a combined Indian population of about 140,000. The annual Inter-Tribal Ceremonials at Gallup, N.M., open August 12 for 4 days of fun and games, Indian style.

On the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona, the White Mountain Apache Tribe operates what may be the largest privately owned recreation area in the West. Continuously stocked trout streams and lakes offer fine fishing and there are more than 700 camping and picnic sites for outdoor living at its best. At Hawley Lake on the Reservation, the Indians have developed and leased hundreds of summer home sites on which vacation cottages have been built. There are first class guest accommodations at the Hon-Dah Motel. "Hon-Dah" means "Be My Guest" in the Apache language.

The Navajo Reservation to the north, home of the largest American Indian tribe, spills over from Arizona into New Mexico and Utah. The Navajos operate motels and restaurants at Shiprock, N.M., and at Window Rock in Arizona. Last summer the Monument Valley Inn, an 80-unit motel complete with swimming pool, restaurant and curio shop, opened at Kayenta, Ariz. This sparkling new guest house is located on the highway leading to fabled Monument Valley, a spectacularly scenic section of the reservation considered a "must" by most visitors.

The Mescalero Apaches of New Mexico have made ready for winter visitors by operating a ski facility just north of their reservation in the Lincoln National Forest on Sierra Blanca, one of the highest peaks in the State. They are planning to open a larger resort in the Sacramento Mountains within the reservation area, with a hotel, swimming pool, golf course and other facilities for outdoor sports.

The Apaches have been joined in the field of ski development by other tribes, including the Chippewa and Cree Indians of Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana.

And the Santa Clara Pueblos, north of historic Santa Fe, have established new camping facilities to make life easier for vacationers with a yen to explore the ancient Indian ruins adjacent to their scenic canyon area.

On the aptly named Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon, not far from Portland, nature provides more than 300 sunny days each year. Here is Kahneeta, a hot springs spa opened by the Indians in May, 1964. The Kahneeta development features a swimming pool of Olympic dimensions which serves about 300 swimmers on week days and 1,000 on busy weekends. There are attractive, furnished cabins and unfurnished teepees. A new restaurant built high on a rocky hillside soon will provide a spectacular view for diners.

While these are some of the major Indian tourist developments, other tribes are entering the field.

Beautiful Pyramid Lake, an unspoiled 175-square-mile body of water in the Pyramid Lake Reservation in Nevada, is just beginning to attract developers. While overnight accommodations are now limited, there is fishing, boating and swimming in an incomparable setting. The Pyramid Lake Indians expect motel or lodge accommodations to be available before long.

For the traveler who prefers a vacation with simple surroundings there are ample camping facilities in Indian country. The Rosebud Sioux in western South Dakota now operate a large camping area with hunting and fishing privileges. On the reservation of the Cheyenne River Tribe of South Dakota, a picnic area to be known as Forest City is being developed on the shores of the Oahe Reservoir.

It is not for recreational opportunities alone that travelers return each year to be the guest of Indian tribes. Though the American Indians are adapting successfully to many 20th Century ways, they still hold dear their ancient customs, ceremonials, and tribal ties. Today, in fact, their reluctance to lose their cultural identity may be stronger than ever before.

The traveler who has observed the dances and ceremonials of Indian America carries away a priceless memory. For the Indian, progress has not brushed aside timeless values or stored away enduring traditions on the back shelf of history's closet. That is probably the real fascination of a vacation in Indian country.

The Department of the Interior today announced that in response to a request from the Hopi Indian Tribal Council, it is directing the removal of about 35 Navajo Indians who are illegally residing within the Hopi Reservation in northern Arizona.

Assistant Secretary of Interior Harry R. Anderson instructed the Superintendent of the Hopi Agency, Clyde Pensoneau at Keams Canyon, Arizona, to serve the eviction notices on those Indians who did not comply with previous eviction notices of the Hopi Council.

The new eviction notices advise the Navajos that their failure to move will result in the matter being referred to the Attorney General for appropriate legal action.

The Hopi Reservation is an area to which the Hopi Tribe won undisputed ownership in a lawsuit brought by them against the Navajos. The Supreme Court affirmed the 1962 decision of the special Federal Court which tried the case. The Hopi area is surrounded by the Navajo Reservation.

Mr. Anderson said this action in honoring the Hopi request is in keeping with the Interior Department's trusteeship responsibilities.

"While this action is necessary," he said, "we will make every effort to prevent hardship on anyone. The decision of the Courts must be carried out, and I appeal to everyone concerned to cooperate responsibly in meeting this requirement.”

Assistant Secretary Anderson said the Bureau of Indian Affairs has instructed its Navajo Area Director, Graham Holmes, to organize a team to assist in the temporary relocation of the evicted Navajos. The team, including a social worker, will be present when the eviction notices are served.

The Hopi request to the Interior Department for assistance was contained in a letter signed by the Hopi Tribal Chairman, Dewey Healing, and three other Council members.

Chairman Healing noted that the Council adopted a resolution December 29, 1965, which gave the Navajos until April 1 to voluntarily leave the Hopi Reservation.

"The April 1 date … is now at hand," Healing said, "and few, if any, of the Navajo Indians … have departed. We are particularly anxious that the exercising of our legal rights shall not result in undue ill will or violence. In view of this fact," Healing continued, "we respectfully solicit your aid …"

Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall today gave the Department's Distinguished Service Award for outstanding records or exceptional contribution to the public service to 43 employees and a Valor Award to another employee for bravery in attempting to save a child's life.

Included among the recipients of certificates for superior Federal service were John M. Kelly, former Assistant Secretary for Mineral Resources, and Dr. Thomas B. Nolan, former Director of the Geological Survey.

The Valor Award was presented to Robert E. Carroll of Anchorage, Alaska, for his attempts to save 5-month-old Ivan Haakensen, who died in a fire in the home of his parents at Kodiak Island, Alaska, February 12, 1965. Mr. Carroll, an employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, collapsed from smoke inhalation after entering the blazing dwelling and was rescued by Wilfred Alexanderoff of the Old Harbor Community on Kodiak.

Today's 43 recipients of Distinguished Service Awards represented a total of more than 1,300 years' Government employment, the individual average being more than 30 years. They represented 17 States and the District of Columbia.

Following are those given Distinguished Service Awards:

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AREA

Washington, D.C.

Dr. Thomas B. Nolan, 41 years, Geological Survey, 2219 California St., N.W.

Mrs. Mary D. O'Connell, 36 years, Bureau of Land Management, 5415 Connecticut .' Ave., N.W.

Mrs. Hildegard Thompson, 33 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 510 21st St., N. W.

Bethesda, Maryland

Charles W. Porter III, 30 years, National Park Service, 5008 Rugby Ave.

Chevy Chase, Maryland

Joseph A. Corgan, Bureau of Mines, 27 years, 5605 Park Street.

Kensington, Maryland

C. Earl Lamson, 31 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 10100 Wildwood Rd.

Silver Spring, Maryland

Rudolph W. Bauss, 29 years, National Park Service, 720 Dartmouth Ave.

Wilbur I. Duvall, 25 years, Bureau of Mines, 10116 Dallas Ave.

Robert F. Kojima, 19 years, Geological Survey, 1713 Lansdowne Way. (posthumously to Mrs. Fumie N. Kojima).

Julius L. Speert, 31 years, Geological Survey, 8201 16th St.

Annandale, Virginia

Howard W. Baker, 35 years, National Park Service, 6803 Algonquin Ct. Harthon L. Bill, 31 years, National Park Service, 5008 Dodson Lane.

Arlington, Virginia

Lansing A. Parker, 27 years, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, 4819 N. 24th St. (posthumously to Mrs. Irene K. Parker).

Fairfax, Virginia

Ignacio J. Castro, 26 years, National Park Service, 708 Colony Rd.

Frank E. Harrison, 27 years, National Park Service, 10910 Orchard St.

Juneau, Alaska

Olive Trower, 41 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, MacKinnon Apartments.

Scottsdale, Arizona

Albert M. Hawley. 33 years. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 7401 E. Belleview

Daly City, California

Percy E. Smith, 36 years, National Park Service, 75 Park Manor Dr.

Kentfield, California

Alfred C. Kuehl, 32 years, National Park Service, 10 Rock Dr.

Tiburon, California

Cecil J. Doty, 31 years, National Park Service. 4 Davis Dr.

Denver, Colorado

Charles W. Thomas, 34 years, Bureau of Reclamation, 3011 S. Madison.

Golden, Colorado

Paul Blake, 36 years, Geological Survey, Route 3. Box 528.

Lakewood, Colorado

Thomas A. Hendricks, 25 years, Geological Survey, 2520 Robb Court.

St. Petersburg, Florida

John M. Wilkinson, 31 years. Office of the Secretary, 376 26th Ave., S. E.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Fred T. Johnston, 38 years, National Park Service, 1455 S. Veretania St.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Ancil D. Holloway, 31 years, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, 2509 Irving Ave., S.

Albert B. Needham, 34 years, Bureau of Mines, 6029 l2tQ Ave., S.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Leola E. Kessler, 30 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 905 Truman, N. E.

Guy C. Williams, 38 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1421 Wellesley Dr., N. E.

Roswell, New Mexico

John M. Kelly, 5 years, Assistant Secretary of the Interior--Mineral Resources, Box 310.

Wahpeton, North Dakota

Esther B. Horne, 36 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 804 N. 4th St

Tulsa, Oklahoma

James V. Alfriend, 31 years, Federal Power Commission and Southwestern Power Administration, 3823 E. 11th Place.

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Mrs. Marie L. Wadley, 39 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2417 Arline St.

Corvallis, Oregon

Alva H. Roberson, 29 years, Bureau of Mines, 3242 Crest Dr.

Portland, Oregon

Everett J. Harrington, 26 years, Bonneville Power Administration, 5934 N. E. Thompson St.

Henderson M. McIntyre, 24 years, Bonneville Power Administration, 3125 N. E. Dekum St.

Travis M. Tyrrell, 35 years, Bureau of Land Management, 9300 N. W. Cornell Rd.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dr. Robert B. Anderson, 20 years, Bureau of Mines, 230 Baywood Ave.

Dr. Robert A. Friedel, 19 years, Bureau of Mines, 302 Locust Lane.

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Leslie M. Keller, 30 years, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1712 S. Main St.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

John C. Preston, 40 years, National Park Service, P. O. Box 771

Roanoke, Virginia

Samuel P. Weems, 32 years, National Park Service, 2709 Stephenson Ave., S. W.

Morgantown, West Virginia

Sam S. Taylor, 36 years, Bureau of Mines, 680 Killarney Dr.

Mrs. Stewart L. Udall and the District of Columbia Committee for National Library Week, April 17-23, are presenting a dual exhibit of art works, "This Is Our Library," by school children of Metropolitan Washington and displays depicting new trends in library services.

The free exhibit will be in the Interior Department Art Gallery and will be open to the public from April 18 to 28.

A reception and preview celebrating the opening of the exhibit will be held Sunday, April 17, from 3 to 5 o'clock in the Art Gallery for invited guests.

The Gallery is on the 7th Floor, Department of the Interior Building, 18th and C Streets Northwest, Washington. It is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors to the Gallery during the special exhibition will see hundreds of examples of artwork by children and panels and other material describing "The Library of the Future."

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has announced the award of a $913,000 contract "for construction of new school facilities on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation at Cibecue, Arizona. Successful bidder was Taylor Construction, Inc., of Tucson, Arizona.

The contract calls for construction of an 8-classroom school building to replace a smaller structure that has become dilapidated and inadequate. The new school will accommodate a total of 240 Indian children, 80 more than formerly were served.

The contract also provides for a new administration building; a multipurpose kitchen building; three 3-bedroom and six 2-bedroom houses for instructional staff and remodeling of existing quarters for four employees; storage, maintenance, and garage buildings; a 60,000 gallon water storage tank; water supply system and sewerage system; drives, walks and other site work.

A total of five bids ranging to $1,068,847 were received.

One little, two little, three little Indians--and 206 more--are brightening the homes and lives of 172 American families, mostly non-Indians, who have taken the Indian waifs as their own.

A total of 209 Indian children have been adopted during the past seven years through the Indian Adoption Project, a cooperative effort of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Child Welfare League of America Adoptions are arranged through customary court procedures.

The rate of Indian adoptions is increasing. There were 49 in 1965, compared to 35 in 1964.

At the time of adoption, the Indian children have ranged in age from birth to 11 years, with more than half under the age of 1 year. Five sets of twins, and a number of other groups from the same families have been adopted.

The 209 Indian adoptees have come from 11 States, with the majority from South Dakota (64) and Arizona (52). Almost all the placements have been in the east and Midwest, with 49 in New York alone.

Parents who have adopted Indian children vary considerably in economic and social backgrounds, but all share the desire to adopt a child who "needs someone", as one couple expressed it. Many of the adoptive parents had not indicated preference as to race or sex. Among the adoptive parents are farmers, small business operators, industrial workers, several teachers, a college president, and a number of newspapermen.

"One problem we don't have to face is that of 'matching' parents and children,” said Director Arnold Lyslo of the Child Welfare League. “Indians and non-Indians generally don't look at all alike, and the question of whether the child is adopted is out in the open from the beginning.”

Reporting to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lyslo said further: "The Indian Adoption Project has been one of the League‘s most satisfying activities. Gloom mongers forecast that our Indian adoption project wouldn't work, when we started seven years ago. But the close follow-up that we maintain has proved that it does work. Indian children adapt happily to a non-Indian environment in almost all cases--even the older ones. While the adoptive parents have sometimes been overly protective at first, they have soon found out that the Indian youngsters slip easily into family and neighborhood patterns."

The Child Welfare League of America serves as coordinator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in finding homes for Indian children through licensed public or private adoption agencies. The League's headquarters are at 44 East 23rd Street, New York City.

The Department of the Interior today announced the award of a $3,859,000 contract for construction of a new 18-classroom school facility at Sanostee, on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

When completed, the Sanostee school complex will serve 720 Navajo children, ranging from beginners through grade eight. As a result, many area children now spending most of the year away at boarding schools will be able to attend schools nearer their homes, either as day or boarding students. The new construction augments a present school which serves only 243 students, beginners through grade four.

The contract calls for 10 beginners' classrooms; 8 standard classrooms; an instructional materials center; mechanical building; multi-purpose building; three 160-pupil dormitories; a 700-pupil kitchen-dining building; housing and carport facilities for 74 employees; and a building that combines storage and maintenance areas with a fire station and a three-stall bus garage.

Included in the contract are utilities; a 250,000-gallon elevated water storage tank; sewage treatment plant or sewage lagoons; pump house; concrete play areas; street paving; grading and other site improvements.

The contractor is Northeast Construction Company of West Virginia, with home offices in Tiffin, Ohio. Five bids, ranging to $4,605,900, were received.