Publicly available electronic document
Source: New York Times, p. 36
Date: January 12, 1973
Author(s): N/A
The documents, paintings and other property taken from the Bureau of Indian Affairs after its four-day occupation by Indians last
Citing "a division in the philosphics and personalities" of members of the coalition of tribes that made up the Trail of Broken Treaties caravan,
Mr.
Caravan leaders have maintained that the Indian Bureau was seized by the 1,000 members of the caravan after attempts to obtain food, lodging for participants and interviews with key Government officials failed.
According to Mr.
"We had planned to use them to educate our many tribes and to use them in the news media to document Government impropriety," he said.
"But unfortunately, the announced study of the documents never took place," Mr.
He said the coalition had splintered and that there was a "great gap in the cohesiveness and coordination of activities."
Mr.
In a series of national, regional and state meetings of Indian tribes during the last two months, officials from more than 150 tribes have endorsed the 20-point proposal in principle and spirit, according to Mr.
On Tuesday, however, the White House rejected the proposals and criticized the caravan for what officials described as the "wanton destruction" in the bureau building and the theft of property.
"As we now proceed to work and look ahead with the entire Indian community, we hope that the theft of its contents will be seen as the distracting and divisive act that it was—an act which served only to impede progress already being achieved by the Administration and responsible Indian community," the White House's written response said.
One of the primary requests made of the Government was for renewed treaty-making authority and creation of a commission to review treaty commitments and violations.
"To call for new treaties is to raise a false issue, unconstitutional in concept, misleading to Indian people and divisionary from the real problems that do need our combined energies," the White House statement said.
It was signed by
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.