Past News Items

Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay today announced an extension in the term of office of John F. Davis as principal chief of the Creek Indian Tribe of Oklahoma until a successor can be duly qualified and appointed. The maximum period of extension is six months.

Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton announced today that he has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to send one of its forestry experts immediately into northern Idaho for an investigation of timber sale prospects on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

President Chino, Vice Presidents, and friends. I am especially happy to be here at the 25th Anniversary Convention of the National Congress of American Indians.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs office of education has become part of a network of 19 innovative school systems across the Nation.

Called ES' 70 (Educational Systems for the 70's), the group consists of school systems that have developed specialties in a variety of fields, above and beyond the standard curricula.

Some systems have set up new ways to teach mathematics; others have developed unique social studies programs, and still others are conducting experimental projects in bi-lingual education.

The White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe of Arizona and the Hale Adams family group from the Hopi Reservation, also in Arizona, have been honored by the Department of the Interior with Conservation Service Awards, it was announced by Secretary Douglas McKay today.

The White Mountain Apaches were cited for their excellent work in juniper eradication, and the Hale Adams family group for adopting more productive farming methods and promoting them among their Hopi neighbors.

Ever since I first heard several months ago that a conference on Indian youth was being organized under the auspices of Arrow, Incorporated, I have been looking forward to it with keen anticipation. Arrow is to be heartily commended, it seems to me, for taking the initiative in pulling this meeting together, giving it focus, and inviting the many distinguished Indian and non-Indian people who are taking part.

Conservation of timber resources on the Klamath Indian Reservation of south central Oregon is "of primary importance to the economy of the area and to the welfare of the public generally", Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton said today in commenting on S. 2047, a bill that provides for Federal acquisition of all Klamath tribal lands.

Seminole Indians of Florida will have an opportunity in the near future to vote on the ratification of a proposed tribal constitution and tribal corporate charter under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the Department of the Interior announced today.

Construction of two new school buildings at Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, to accommodate 86 additional Indian children in an area where about 170 of school age were not enrolled last year, will begin soon under a contract awarded by the Indian Bureau, the Department of 'the Interior announced today.

The contractor awarded the job is Central Construction Co., Inc. of Philadelphia, Mississippi on its low bid of $209,881. There were three higher bids ranging from $210,520 to $267,613.

Over a million acres has been added to the land holdings of Indian tribes throughout the country in the past three years as a result of Congressional enactments and administrative section by the Department of the Interior, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L. Emmons announced today.