George White Bull and Oliver Prue
As Collier, Roe Cloud, and other members of the Indian Office moved from one congress to the next during the spring of 1934, Native representatives scrutinized the particulars of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). Some questioned whether the emphasis on retribalizing land fractionated by allotment would lead to segregation; others hinted that it smacked of communism. The critical stances, Standing Rock Sioux scholar Vine Deloria Jr., observed, revealed “that most Indians had adjusted to the allotment act, and the selfishness that Senator Henry Dawes believed an essential part of civilized life had taken hold in many tribes so that they were reluctant to pool their resources and lands and try to revive the old tribal ways.” Consider how Deloria’s assertion stands in relation to Roe Cloud’s evaluation of Indian economic thought. Do the concerns raised by George White Bull and Oliver Prue, Lakota delegates from Standing Rock and Rosebud in North and South Dakota, confirm or complicate their analyses? How do their understandings of past relations with the federal government shape their attitudes toward the IRA?12
George White Bull from Standing Rock: Mr. Chairman. We have such a good interpreter that I am going to say a few words. I wish to extend my appreciation to the Officials for all the good things that they have done for us. But, in the middle there, there are some things that is detrimental to us and we fear them. Under the allotment system they have been after us for quite a number of years, using every means, employing fraud and deceit and eventually made us accept and go into the allotment system, under which we are now being governed. We believed in the allotment system as presented and we are now kind of getting accustomed to that way of being governed. All the officials are interested in the passage of the now proposed Bill or the new Bill, which contains some very good provisions in that Bill.13
Now, if, as a precaution and safeguard, if they will make a law guarding that Bill with a penalty of so many years’ imprisonment and a fine of so many dollars attached to anyone who violates or breaks up this Bill, annuls or voids this Bill, I believe that nobody shall attempt to break up this Bill. What I have reference to is the regulations governing the allotment system of which are now past. I believe that something is not very clear in our minds and that is this, that the passage of the new Bill would in turn jeopardize our interests in some of the allotment and treaties that are known by the year ’68, ’78, and ’89. Treaties that are known by the years would be jeopardized and that part of those will be relinquished if we accept the new proposed Bill.
I also believe that immediate action concerning this Bill is unnecessary as I just mentioned that some of the contents of the Bill are not clearly understood by all of us and there are a large number waiting at home and I feel that the delegations should take the matter home on their respective jurisdictions and there acquaint themselves, study the Bill, analyze it to the fullest extent. It may seem simple to you English speaking people, in whose language the Bill is constructed, but on the other hand the Indians that are involved, by the gift of God, they have an entirely different dialect, or language, of their own and some of them do not speak the English language so I think that the matter should be referred back to the people at home and there digested fully and then acted upon according to the wishes of the entire people after they have thoroughly acquainted themselves with the provisions.
One more thing I wish to say. Something that is to be readily observed by the delegates present here is that among the delegates are some who are landless that are very anxious for the passage and the acceptance of the Bill, and the reason for this anxiety, I believe, is that in the provisions of the Bill a credit system or the loan of money was mentioned. As I said awhile ago, we are getting, some of us are getting accustomed to the allotment system; that is, live on our allotments, utilize that land for their livelihood, utilize the water, the wood, timber and grass and maybe a garden spot and, more, a majority of these people that are utilizing their allotments are full bloods and can not speak English and they are reluctant about hasty acceptance of the Bill, fearing that some authority would come and take away what they now hold and claim as their own. That is all I wish to say.
I have some claims and suits against the U.S. Government.14 We are looking forward to the day when a judgment shall be reached in connection with our claims that we may realize some compensation on behalf of the claims. How does it happen there are no monies to settle our claims and reach judgment on our claims or pay the amount of those claims, but when a time comes for the transfer of our allotments into another system then we are told that a large amount of money—millions—would be appropriated for this purpose? I believe that it would be an easy matter for us to reach an early decision in this matter had the Government been anxious to settle our claims and pay up our claims in full than if a new proposition were presented. I believe we would have been just as anxious to answer just as readily and go into it wholeheartedly. Also, because by the settlement of our just claims we know our rights and we would have no fear towards any other matter that they may present. I believe that if they go into an immediate decision on this matter and take final action on it here it would be just the same as taking bread and butter out of the mouths of the younger generation and taking it from the old and indigent Indians. . . .
Mr. Collier: Now I do want to say a word about the matter of claims against the Government. . . . There is one very real connection between this proposed Bill that we are discussing and your claim. One real connection, and it has to do with what will happen to your judgment after it is paid to you. Maybe you think, “We Sioux are going to get $100,000,000 net,” and that is a lot of money. But, I have told you today how the Government, without the consent of the Indian, has misappropriated more than that much Indian trust money since 1900. If you just take one tribe of Indians alone: the Osage Tribe in Oklahoma. Since 1915, $245,000,000 has been paid into the Tribal fund of the Osage Tribe: $245,000,000. And do you know how much of that is gone already, thrown away, eaten up, wasted? $220,000,000 of that is gone. If you want to find out how it went, get the issue of Collier’s Weekly that is on the stands right now and you will read all about how the Osage tribal fund has been misappropriated, or ask Mr. Henry Roe Cloud; he will tell you about it.
Now, if this Bill becomes law, this Bill we are discussing at this Congress, and then if you Sioux Indians go ahead under the Bill and take your charters and then, if you get your judgment from the Court of Claims, then not a dollar of that money can be spent by the Government except with your consent. You can protect your fund from misappropriation. Under existing law you would be powerless to protect your tribal fund from misappropriation. That is the only connection that this Bill would have with your claim. . . .
Mr. Oliver Prue [from Rosebud]: There is a thing that I want to question in regard to this petition, but before I make any statement I want to make a general statement on it. From times gone by, the Secretary of the Interior has been empowered with authority to act and to do as he pleases in all matters relating to Indians. We are selected as delegates to come to this Congress and listen on both sides of the question and thresh out the matters and try to understand it thoroughly and then without taking any action on our part, to take the case home, back to the people whom we represent. Therefore, it is believed, those being the conditions under which we came, if it is just a little matter of local concern right at this meeting that the whole Congress is requested to act on, our delegation is not at liberty to take part even in that case.
Last night, our Attorney, Major Case, gave us a nice talk and he complimented Mr. Collier, the Commissioner, on the character of the man and his sincerity in everything and his earnest desire to do something worthwhile for our people, and we also, our Rosebud Delegation, believe with Mr. Case.15 From past experience in years gone by, we have come to learn to distrust all Government officials that come out here to negotiate with our people and we really have been fooled so many times, time and again, that we just simply distrust every Government official that came out here, however true they may be. (Applause.)We have listened to Mr. Collier for two days now and he has presented some very good material for us to listen to, but we have had so much experience in the past and even right now, maybe one matter brought up sounds good, looks good, and pleasant to hear about, etc., and yet we hear another thing again and then another thing. The matter has been passed along like a basketball. Thrown from one player to another until we don’t know what it is.