yeah,
mm hmm. The ko why Arizona network news department presents an exclusive
transcribed program climaxing a historic meeting in phoenix today? The
next voice you hear will be that of governor pile by way of introduction?
I should like to say that for a long time we have been planning to secure
the cooperation of the leadership of the various tribal councils around
over the state to make a pretty close personal analysis of some of the
problems that face these tribal councils and at the same time to explain
in as much detail as possible the position of the state of Arizona in
relation to these problems. I think our meeting today at Adam Hotel has
been an outstanding contribution to general understanding. We didn't
decide anything, we didn't solve any problems, but we at least sat down
and spoke frankly to each other about all of these things that concern us.
And I believe as a result, The 30 Odd persons who have come in from
various parts of the state are going away feeling a little closer to the
situation than previously, perhaps with a little less malice and prejudice
in their hearts and above all. And most important of all, some hope that
by working together we can eliminate some of these difficulties. We have
invited a quartet of the gentleman who were present today too, visit with
us briefly. I speak first of George fisher who was here representing the
colorado River Tribal council at Parker Arizona and I'm going to just ask
a few questions covering fundamentally what took place here today in order
that you might have a little better appreciation of it when you began to
think about it in your home George, do you think it's been a pretty fair
meeting? I think it's been a wonderful meeting and I think everyone is
enjoying themselves and I think everything has been pretty well thoroughly
thrashed out and I wouldn't say we're a third thrashed out, but I think it
was done to a certain extent where we can, we will understand each other
someday George. What chance do you think we have of organizing the
southwest inter tribal council that we've talked about here today? I think
you, I think the tribe has a wonderful chance. The tribes do have a
wonderful chance of accomplishing something that it would actually carry
them forward to. Something that would be more more or less progressive for
them to carry on as far as the indians are concerned. Do you share the
general feeling here that we must unify our efforts in behalf of all of
the tribes and cease this business of working separately and alone? Yes, I
think we should be pretty well unified and work on the problems that we
have and work it to a certain extent where we could all understand one of
how many indians do you represent George, I represent Approximately 1300
in there. How is the agricultural project down on the Colorado going along
well, I think the project on the Colorado River reservation is getting
along very fine and we have been on a progressive end of everything and I
think to my knowledge that the engines of the colorado colorado River
reservation are going to do a wonderful job in the next few years to come.
Good. Well George, I'd like to thank you personally on behalf of all of
us who were here today for the long trip you made in order to attend a
meeting and I hope you feel that it has been worthwhile, It has been
worthwhile and I think it was educational. Thank you very much. George
fisher representing the Colorado River tribal council over around parker.
Our next voice is that of Clarence Wesley of the san Carlos Apache Tribal
council. I believe you're from san Carlos Arizona aren't you? Wesley, that
is right, I'm from san Carlos. How long have you been identified with the
management of the tribe? I've been on the tribal council for 12 years now
and has served as chairman of the Council for four years. Where did you
get your education Clarence, I got my education in government schools from
the 22 to 25 I attended phoenix indian school and from 25 to 32 I attended
Albuquerque and in high school, do you feel that you were pretty well
educated as the provision would allow. No, I don't think I was properly
educated due to due to lack of, of uh curriculum in the school, it was up
up and standards like uh other other schools like state schools and
therefore I think I'm not well educated. You mean completely educated,
completely educated, threat. That is fine. Now, you made quite a point
today Clarence of the need for education. Would you amplify that a little
for the benefit of our radio audience speaking now as an indian in behalf
of your people and other tribes? Well, my people uh there's only 66 high
school high school graduate and only one college graduate according to the
statistics that was brought out by uh- Frank bough of a house of
representatives. And it is true that we should stress education and each
child, I mean each parents is being informed that their Children sure go
to school, get a college education, so whereby they can be an effort like
they're trying to do for the indian people. Now. You spoke a minute ago
about the standard of education not being the equal of that provided for
Children in other racial groups. Do you mean by that? That perhaps the
teachers who teach the indian Children on the reservation schools perhaps
couldn't qualify for jobs in the regular public school systems. I don't
know what kind of assistance they had and during that time I went to
government school, but I understand all the indian schools, especially
phoenix is now in the standard with state schools, they are standardized.
I've been informed, how do you feel about the meeting today? Clarence. I
think it was educational like Mr fisher said every one of us came here
with the thought of uh exchanging ideas and I think in time that we will
accomplish something, we will work with a government, state government and
I think and more in time to come that things can be developed where we can
understand each other more thoroughly. Then you don't think the thing is
entirely hopeless. I don't think the thing is hopeless is favorable. Thank
you very much, Clarence Wesley. And we hope you'll carry our greetings
back to the san Carlos Apache tribal council at san Carlos Arizona. And
now I'd like to speak just for a moment with Sam. Archaea. Sam is the
chairman of the great Navajo tribal council with headquarters at window
rock Arizona. Sam you represent the largest of the indian tribes in this
area, don't you? Yes, I believe that's what we are told that the Navajos
are the largest tribe in the United States. How long have you been
identified with the tribal council? Sam? Well, this is my second term is
the chairman to the tribal council and I served four years under the
capacity of the vice chairman. Sam. What do you consider to be the most
acute problem that the Navajo has today. As far as his tribal life is
concerned, the most I could acute problem is the education, the school for
a younger generation, but we feel that the younger generations are the
people that we care on the tribal problems after us.
How about hospitalization in public health, the hospital is the next
important, oh we do not have adequate health situations over the Navajo
country.
An improvement of that would be a great benefit to you. Would the approval
would be a big benefit of the tribe and we have been trying to get
Congress to build more hospital for us and somehow or other that Congress
has been pretty much backward. Sam wouldn't it be a great help to you if
you had the reservation roads opened up so that the members of your tribe
would find it a little easier to gain access to the hospitals that are
available. Our real problem is very bad over the reservation and we've
been trying to get Congress government to build the roads and we just just
standing still. So my hope of coming down here is we might get the state
of Arizona to build some of the road with the probably money on the long
range program. Uh, what is known as a 10 year rehabilitation program for
the Navajo and the Hopi how do you feel about the meeting today Sam, do
you think it was worth the time you took to come in? I was very much
interested of meeting the leaders of the different tribes. I've lived
there all sincere for the betterment of their people as I am of the number
of people. So I feel that the meeting here has been very good meetings and
getting acquainted between different leaders of the tribe and I hope that
this is not the first meeting that we will have other meanings and later
on. Well it will not be the first and last meeting. Sam we hope to set up
a semi annual arrangement with these same leaders or those who succeed
them in an effort to keep in constant touch with the problems that face
all of you. Sam we appreciate you coming down all the way from your part
of the world. It's quite a long trip and we hope that while you're here,
you're able to work with these gentlemen who are trying to work out the
master council of all of the tribal leaders so that sometime soon we can
begin to work on a more unified basis. Friends, we've been talking with
Sam A Kia, the chairman of the Navajo tribal council with headquarters at
Window Rock and certainly one of the most cooperative individuals I've
ever met. He has a great responsibility in the 70,000 Navajo who are
responsible for the way of going in that part of the world and we know
that he bears this burden with a great realization of the obligation that
is his. Now finally, I want you to hear from Tom Segundo. We call him tom
his official name would be thomas. He represents the Papago down around
the cells Arizona area. I think you're about ready for your famous fair,
aren't you? Tom Yes, it's coming on the 27th and 28 October. This will be
what number in the list? It will be the 16th annual paprika, indian rodeo
and arts and crafts exhibit. Do you think it will be bigger than ever?
It'll be the best one ever staged, I assure you. Well, that's wonderful
tom let's talk a little bit about the meeting today. What are your
reactions to it? I think it was a very good meeting, I believe also that
all of the tribal leaders who came here today realized before they ever
entered the conference room here, that nothing decisive could be done here.
But that this was a stepping stone and the forerunner really to the event
that will eventually, I think bring fruit. I think that we all realized
that the immediate solution cannot be seen, but that, that we are actually
on the way now. How do you feel about the unification under a master
council? I'm all for it. I believe that the paper goes realized long ago
that a unified group gives to any race of people to any group of peoples,
the power and really the resources with which to carry forward their aims
, their purposes. And I think that the accomplishments will justify a
unified group. How many persons do you represent tom Approximately 7500
paper goes. And you have any very special problems that are confronting
you now, I was very much interest at governor pile in the statement made
by Mr Kia, mm hmm. Navajo tribal chairman and have always been very much
interested not only in the individual Mr Kia, but also in his tribe.
Because I think their situation somewhat parallels that of the capital.
Although I have stated officially before congressional groups and before
other groups that in some ways, although on necessarily on a smaller scale
, some of our problems are even worse than the Navajo. But I have always
qualified that statement that with Navajo, it is on a much larger scale.
The same problems with more of it is. Yes, I think that's well, we
sincerely hope tom that the results of our meeting today will justify the
time and the effort that you've all put into it with wonderful of you to
lay down your regular assignments of work and come in here and spend the
afternoon with us. I hope that your attempts to organize the Master
Council will go forward to immediate fulfillment so that we can begin to
work with committees that will be designated to consider the question of
welfare and education and hospitalization and state participation in
federal reconciliation and all that sort of thing. I think perhaps if such
a thing can come to pass, then this meeting will really be something
worthwhile. Well governor. I'm very well satisfied with the results we
have gotten here and I'm sure that when all of the tribal leaders go into
their inter tribal council meeting tomorrow, each one of them will bear in
mind the statements which are made and I believe every one of them
appreciates the sincerity with which you made statements and believe that
you are
really very deeply interested in the end. Well, you can certainly vouch
for that. Tom the indians of Arizona are very close to all of our hearts.
Friends, I think that about rounds it up. The 13 councils represented
today have done an excellent job of reviewing the situation and we
sincerely hope that the outcome of our effort will be something even more
fruitful and productive of good.
You have just heard an exclusive transcribed program presented by the ko
why Arizona network news department, the narrator and interviewer of the
Arizona indian tribal leaders was Governor pile.
This is gail y in phoenix.