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Show tiling to have a Business Committee so that you can get the things youneed and the things you want. We travled over most of the reservation and we have seen the land that needs water which has not ditch. We have visited your school and saw your children and saw how they are getting along and saw the teaching in the school rooms. We saw what they had for dinner today and they had a good dinner tody. They have good clothes and a good place to sleep. Your children should all be in school and kept in school through the year. Long years ago the Indians were traveling a different road but that road is blotted out. That road is a road where hundreds of years ago there was game. They killed the game and lived in tents and tepees. We know that the Indians cannot travel that road any longer just as if that road has been blotted out by the mountainslides. We can't get back to that road again. Trying to get back to that road again is the same as tiling to get back last years snow. It is gone. These children who are growling up must travel a new road that the Indians is trying to make for the Indians to travel. We see Indians now traveling that new road and living in houses, etc., as they travel that new road. Some time there are some places in that road where it is smooth and some where it is rough. We want you to tell us about these rough places so that the Superintendent and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs can make those rough places smoothl We hope your children when they grow up will have better homes, better farms, and get along better than we are getting along. If you have time tib talk to use we would be glad to have you tell us about the tough places and the smooth places and how the Government can helpyou more." Superintendent Tidwell: "I want you people to feel perfectly free to express yourselves for these men are here to get the information from you people direct." Soccioff, (Whiteriver Band) "I Want to refer you to the time I was sent to Washington. We stopped at the Commissioner's. Our purpose for going to Washington was to lay before the Commissioner our complaints that were were not being treated right. The Commissioner and the President said they would listen to what we had to say. We talked of money matters. Roosevelt was President at the time. They took us to a place where they kept lots of money and they told us that it was our money. John Duncan saw this money. They asked me how much money I needed and wanted while I was there in Washington and I told them fifteen dollars. They gave me this much. The President told us that all matters pertaining to the Indians were handled by the Commissioner and that he did not have anything to do with them. The President said here is the man who is responsible for all these things you are bringing here to us. The Commissioner hung his head down when he said this. There happened to be some Indians there who worked in the Office but they were not Indians any more but white people now. One of them advised us to hang on to all our old Indian ways and not to listen to any white people. He said that if we began to living in the ways of the white man that some day we would land in some place where they know our heads off. This is the advice they gave me. That's all." Yellowstone, (Whiteriver Band) Friends, I am glad to see you. I used to be one of the leading men of my band and at one time was spokesman for my band but I am no longer recognized in any matters. I have listened to what you men have said. I have been wondering what purpose there was in this talk. I don't know whether to believe it or not. I have been wondering if you did come from Washington with authority to be with us and to benefit us. I think the Commissioner should appoint all the leading men of any tribe. I have never expressed by feelings in any matters before a.-; the Superintendent has not recognized mc as one of the leading men of my band and has ignored me. Many of these Indians know when I used to take up matters for the. Many of them are gone now. I have never called on to express my feelings. I have always had to take the back seat all the meetings. No telling what steps I would take in some of these matters if given a chance and I could probably help the Superintendent out on some matters. The only thing I have ever heard Socioff report after taking trips to Washington is that money matter. It has always been my purpose to talk for the betterment of my people. This is the step I have always wanted to take. I am glad to know that tne Commissioner is still protecting us. I think that everything should be |