Montana Office of the State Coordinator of Indian Affairs Records, 1948-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana Office of the State Co-ordinator of Indian Affairs
Title
Montana Office of the State Coordinator of Indian Affairs Records
Dates
1948-1971 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
RS 25
Summary
Montana Coordinator of Indian Affairs records (1948-1971) records consist of correspondence, subject files, financial records, organizational materials, reports, and clippings, concerning education, tribal industries, housing, legislation, statistics, meetings, etc.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The office of Montana State Coordinator of Indian Affairs was created by the legislature in 1951. The Coordinator was appointed by the governor from a list of five persons agreed upon by the tribal councils of the Indian tribes of Montana for a four-year term at a salary of one dollar per annum. The Coordinator, based in Helena, was to foster a program designed to establish and place Indian citizens in a position "whereby they will be able to take their rightful place in society and assume the rights, duties, and privileges of full citizenship." The Coordinator was to accomplish this goal by soliciting rehabilitation loans "for the purpose of enabling deserving Indians to become self sufficient," to be disbursed through Indian loan associations; by promoting the welfare of Indians, especially adequate housing; by acquainting himself with the problems confronting Montana Indians and advising the legislature and the executive branch of such problems and making recommendations for the alleviation thereof; and by serving the Montana delegation in the U.S. Congress as an advisor and intermediary in Indian affairs. The Coordinator was to cooperate with federal and state agencies and "make quarterly reports to the governor concerning the physical and moral well being of Montana Indians" and make a similar report to each legislative assembly. In 1967 a law was passed stipulating that the Coordinator's salary was to be specified by the legislature. In 1969 several changes were made in the Coordinator's duties. In addition to soliciting rehabilitation loans, he was to solicit educational, economic, health, and housing funds, which were to be disbursed through various federal programs. He was also charged with the duty of promoting sanitation for Indians whether or not they resided on reservations, and was empowered to act, upon request, as spokesman for representative Indian organizations and groups. The Coordinator's report requirement was changed to a yearly report to the governor. Knute W. Bergan, formerly school principal in Browning for many years, was appointed State Coordinator in 1951. He served until his death in 1968 when he was replaced by Harold J. Boyd.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection has been divided into six series. The general correspondence series (1951-1971) discusses education, tribal industries, housing, legislation, statistics, personal problems of tribal members, meeting, donations to the tribes, etc. Information about numerous subjects for which a subject file was established is also found in the general correspondence series. The financial records series (1965-1970) contains information about the budget of the Coordinator. The organizational materials series (undated) includes a description of the Coordinator's goals and duties and a criticism of a proposed state Indian commission. The subject files series (1948-1971, undated) comprises the bulk of the collection and includes information on all the reservations and many Indian organizations and programs. Information on specific subjects can often be found in the subject files on affected tribes as well as in the file with the subject heading. For instance, information concerning Indian housing is found both in the subject file with that title as well as in the subject files on specific tribes. The miscellany series (1951-1970, undated) contains a variety of writings, news releases, lists, proceedings of conferences of concern to Indians, etc. The clippings series (1930, 1954-1967) includes clippings on a variety of subjects. Printed material has been transferred to the Library. Notable persons who appear throughout the collection include Ed Belgard (Landless Indians), Freda Beazley (Fort Peck), Steve DeMers (Flathead), Walter McDonald (Flathead), Earl Old Person (Blackfeet), Sister Providencia, Walter Wetzel (Blackfeet), John Wooden Legs (Northern Cheyenne), and Robert Yellowtail (Crow).

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by series

Location of Collection

17:7-5

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

General Correspondence Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Supt. of Public Instruction, Carling Malouf, North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, R.H. Willcomb, Alvin Pollock, Glenn O. Lockwood, James X. Brown, Arrow Inc.)
1951-1961
1 / 2
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Crow Indian Celebration and Rodeo; Montronics Inc.; Robert W. Waugh; Commission on the Rights, Liberties, and Responsibilities of the American Indian; Rocky Mountain College; Association of American Indian Affairs; James R. Shaw; Blaine County Board of Commissioners; St. Labre Indian Mission)
1962
1 / 3
Miscellaneous (correspondents include President John F. Kennedy circular letter; Association on American Indian Affairs; Northern Montana College; Montana Inter-Tribal Policy Board; American Jewish Society for Service; S.C. DeMers re civil rights area meeting; Northern Cheyenne Mennonite Mission; Robert Yellowtail)
1963
1 / 4
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Montana Legislative Council; Robert Yellowtail; Idaho Dept. of Education; Association on American Indian Affairs; U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs; Mental Retardation Planning Project; John W. Cragun re Turtle Mountain Chippewa; Stephen C. DeMers; Northern Montana College's program for disabled Indians)
1964-1965
1 / 5
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Association on American Indian Affairs; University of Montana Foundation Division of Indian Services; Joy Toineeta; Richard S. McDermott re land interests; State Budget Director; Sonosky and White re Indian Claims Commission extension; Wilkinson, Cragun and Barker re various legal issues; Bert Hansen)
1966
1 / 6
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Association on American Indian Affairs; state colleges and universities enclosing lists of students attending under Indian Education Scholarships; Robert Yellowtail; Wilkinson, Cragun and Barker re various legal issues; University of Montana Foundation Division of Indian Services)
1967
1 / 7
Miscellaneous (correspondents include University of Montana re alleged discrimination, enclosing list of Indian students; Harold J. Boyd; Kyi-yo Indian Club; Sister Providencia)
1968-1969
1 / 8
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Governors' Interstate Indian Council; North American Indian League)
1970-1971
1 / 9
Congressman James Battin (re Knowles Dam, Operation Bootstrap, Federal Housing Administration, Office of Economic Opportunity)
1961-1967
1 / 10
Blackfeet Indian Reservation (re Indian claims contracts, oil leases, Jim Peters, grazing leases, tribal elections, Heart Butte School, school lunch program, educational grants, Industrial Redevelopment Committee, hunting and fishing, racial discrimination, vocational training)
1951-1962
1 / 11
Blackfeet Indian Reservation (re civil law jurisdiction, death of Meade Swingley, Arkinson family, termination and relocation, proposed plastics industry, Starr School, Office of Economic Opportunity, Community Action Program, conference on Acceleration of Educational Opportunities for Blackfeet through Full Utilization of Available Resources, National Association of Blackfeet Indians, guaranteed loan program)
1963-1969
1 / 12
James X. Brown (re Chippewa, Cree, and Blackfeet history; also includes current political issues including economic development at Rocky Boy's Reservation, Landless Indians, and family concerns)
1952-1963, undated
1 / 13
Flathead Reservation (re education, economic development, school lunches, Hot Springs bathhouse, complaints against Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes by Flathead-Kootenai Organization, hydroelectric dams, termination policy, Head Start programs, Montana Power Company's Kerr Dam)
1951-1970
1 / 14
Governor (re Blaine County Indian health problems, St. Labre Indian School, need for a Lame Deer High School, jurisdiction issues, Office of Economic Opportunity Poverty Program)
1962-1971
1 / 15-16
Governors' Interstate Indian Council (re background of the Council, plans for meetings, common issues, etc.)
1961-1966
1 / 17
David Higgins (Cut Bank farmer re Farmers Home Administration loan program)
1964-1967
1 / 18
Irrigation and water resources
1967
1 / 19
Knowles Dam (correspondents include Montana Power Company, Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Indian Rights Association, John Cragun, Hugh Downs of National Broadcasting Company)
1962-1963
1 / 20
Mike Mansfield (re education, jurisdiction, other issues of federal policy)
1961-1970
1 / 21
Lee Metcalf (re education, jurisdiction, other issues of federal policy)
1960-1969
1 / 22-23
Montana Inter-Tribal Policy Board
1951-1967
1 / 24
Northern Cheyenne Tribe (re land ownership, health care, First Americans Inc., St. Labre Mission, economic development, Lame Deer School)
1951-1962
2 / 1
Northern Cheyenne Tribe (re economic development, housing, Lame Deer School, Northern Cheyenne Arts and Crafts Association, school lunch program, John Wooden Legs' report on progress during his administration)
1963-1969
2 / 2
Arnold Olsen (re Flathead Reservation schools, health care, other federal policy issues)
1962-1969
2 / 3
Prison inmates (re parole, commutation of sentences, etc.)
1952-1961
2 / 4
Rocky Boy's Reservation (re petitions on several federal bills, economic development, health care, Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Lutheran Mission Advisory Committee, Community Action Program)
1950-1969
2 / 5-6
Robert Yellowtail (re termination policy, opposition to building of Yellowtail Dam, land issues, politics, Indian memorial at Fort Wadsworth, civil rights legislation, individual economic responsibility, heirship lands)
1962-1968

Financial Records Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 7
Budget
1956-1961

Organization Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 8
Description of goals and duties of Coordinator of Indian Affairs; criticism of a proposed state Indian Commission
circa 1967

Printed Material Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 9
List of printed materials transferred to Library
undated
2 / 9a
Legislative bulletin
1963
2 / 9b-9c
Bulletins
1962, 1965

Subject Files Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 10
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (includes constitution, annual convention materials, reports on meetings, resolutions, speeches, clippings)
1962-1968
2 / 11
Blackfeet Reservation (includes financial statements, Blackfeet Tribe vs. Dillon S. Myer et al. record, proposed revisions to constitution, analysis of expenditures of School District 7, donation of land for missile base, charter of Blackfeet Indian Housing Authority, resolution re compulsory school attendance, Economic Development Administration planning grant, evaluation of Community Action Agency, description of sweat lodge)
1952-1969
2 / 12
Compulsory school attendance (primarily re Fort Peck Reservation; also includes tribal resolutions for each reservation endorsing compulsory school attendance)
1948-1961
2 / 13-16
Cooperative Area Manpower Planning System [CAMPS] (includes explanation of program, minutes, descriptions of programs, etc.)
1969-1971
2 / 17
Crow Reservation (includes resolution on sale of land to individual families, Crow Indian Fair and Rodeo, Crow Tribe vs. Bureau of Reclamation, evaluation of Head Start program, Community Action Program, "Investment Opportunities on the Crow Reservation Montana")
1951-1969
2 / 18-19
Federal reimbursement to schools (includes "Montana Plan for Education Reimbursement to School Districts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs," lists of eligible districts, budgets)
1955-1963
2 / 20-22
Flathead Reservation (includes minutes of Tribal Council of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; hearing on Earl Sanders' activities as chief of police; chronology of health care by Sisters of Charity; reports; brochures; list of tribal members; financial records)
1951-1970
3 / 1
Flathead Reservation (re federal reimbursements to schools)
1961-1962
3 / 2
Flathead Reservation (re hydroelectric projects, including Knowles, Kerr, and Buffalo Rapids dams)
1962-1967
3 / 3
Fort Belknap Reservation (includes correspondence; resolutions re schools; statement by Richard King [Bob- Tail Horse]; Head Start Program; report on "Poverty and Promise for the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana"; personnel policies)
1951-1967
3 / 4
Fort Peck Reservation (includes correspondence; Head Start Program; "Fort Peck Caravan: a Study of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation by the Montana Human Relations Committee"; application for Community Action Program grant; Neighborhood Youth Corps)
1954-1969
3 / 5-7
Governors' Interstate Indian Council (includes lists of delegates, programs, resolutions, Robert Yellowtail analysis of Robert L. Bennett Report, lists of federal programs, minutes, agendas)
1951-1968
3 / 8
Helena Indian Alliance (includes minutes, bulletins)
1968-1969
3 / 9
Housing (re Federal Housing Program for Indian Reservations, Housing for the Elderly Program)
1961-1962, 1970
3 / 10-11
Indian education (includes letter by Sister Providencia, circular re Indian scholarships, White House Conference on Children and Youth report, Indian Affairs Manual, statement by Mary M. Condon, report on children of Hill 57, "An Analysis of Federal Reimbursement to Heart Butte School District #1", report on pre-vocational training, multi-state university consortium)
1950-1969
3 / 12
Industrial development (includes correspondence, "The Future of Montana" by George W. O'Connor)
1957-1963
3 / 13
Industrialization Conference (includes correspondence, conference program, report on field visitation)
1957-1961
3 / 14
Industry: Montronics, Inc. (re meetings of company with the various reservations re possible location of plant for communications and frequency measurement)
1962
3 / 15
Industry: nuclear waste storage (re proposed location of storage facility for Hanford by-products on Blackfeet Reservation)
1961-1964
3 / 16
Institute on Indian Affairs in Montana (includes programs)
1955-1958
3 / 17
Kerr Dam (re payments to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)
1965-1967
3 / 18-19
Knowles Dam (includes preliminary study, presentation by Montana Power Company in opposition to dam, hearings, opposition of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)
1958-1965
3 / 20-21
Law enforcement (includes correspondence re compulsory school attendance, drivers licenses, jurisdiction issues, Indian Law and Order Conference, Indian Law Seminar, testimony re legislation, clippings)
1948-1966
3 / 22-23
Legislation, general
1951-1969
3 / 24
Legislation, Commission on Indian Affairs
1954
3 / 25
Legislation, federal
1965-1967
3 / 26
Legislation, heirship
1961-1966
3 / 26
Legislation, income taxes
1965-1967
4 / 1
Legislation, Indian Resources Development Act ("Omnibus Bill")
1966-1967
4 / 2
Legislation, peyote (re Native American Church, includes report by Bureau of Indian Affairs)
1956-1966
4 / 3
Legislation, recommendations
1950, undated
4 / 4
Legislation, school transportation
1950-1952, undated
4 / 5
Mental Retardation Planning Project
1964-1968
4 / 6
Montana Conference on Children and Youth
1951
4 / 7
Montana Crime Control Commission
1970
4 / 8-10
Montana Inter-Tribal Policy Board (includes constitution, bylaws, minutes, and resolutions)
1952-1970
4 / 11
Montana Tourism Conference
1962
4 / 12-13
National Congress of American Indians (includes constitution, bylaws, minutes, resolutions, reports on legislation, circular letters, bulletins)
1954-1967
4 / 14
National Congress of American Indians: American Indian Charter Convention
1960
4 / 15
National Council on Indian Opportunity
1969
4 / 16
Northern Cheyenne (includes tourist center, report re proposed settlement before Indian Claims Commission, proposed summer college workshops, Community Action Program)
1962-1967
4 / 17
Northern Cheyenne: housing
1962-1964
4 / 18
Northern Cheyenne: industry (includes report on resource development plan, correspondence re proposed plastics factory, tannery, Guild Arts and Crafts Inc.)
1952, 1961-1966
4 / 19
Northern Cheyenne: Lame Deer Schools (includes proposal by First Americans Inc. to use old school building for factory, proposed high school)
1957, 1963-1965
4 / 20
Northern Cheyenne: St. Labre Mission (includes charity appeals by Rev. Emmett Hoffman, newsletter of St. Labre Indian School)
1958-1970
4 / 21
Oil production on tax exempt land: Glacier County
1958-1962
4 / 22
Oil production on tax exempt land: Pondera County
1959-1963
4 / 23
Oil production on tax exempt land: Poplar
1958-1959
4 / 24
Population statistics
1950-1963
4 / 25
President Kennedy's Task Force on Indian Affairs
1961
4 / 26
Rocky Boy's Reservation (includes report on economic development plan, newsletter, Community Action Program, report on landless Indians)
1951-1967, undated
5 / 1
Rocky Boy's Reservation: education (includes correspondence with Havre Public Schools, agreement between Havre Public Schools and Bureau of Indian Affairs, plans for Rocky Boy School, proposed budgets)
1957-1961
5 / 2
Scholarships: John Whitney Hay Foundation (for advanced study)
1952-1962
5 / 3
Scholarships: Society of Colonial Dames (for nurses' training)
1951-1961
5 / 4
Scholarships: United Scholarship Service Inc. (for American Indian or Spanish-American students; includes lists of recipients)
1958-1966
5 / 5
Scholarships: miscellaneous (includes Colorado College summer program, lists of students attending branches of University of Montana, Crow Tribal Scholarship Program)
1951-1966
5 / 6
Schools: Babb (includes statistical data, budgets, applications for federal aid, lists of eligible students)
1959-1964
5 / 7
Schools: East Glacier (includes statistical data, budgets, applications for federal aid, lists of eligible students)
1959-1963
5 / 8
Schools: Heart Butte (includes statistical data, budgets, applications for federal aid, lists of eligible students)
1958-1963
5 / 9
Schools: Poplar (includes statistical data, budgets, applications for federal aid)
1955-1961
5 / 10-11
State jurisdiction on Indian reservations (includes Great Falls' Hill 57, Indian Self-Help Bill, testimony and resolutions re bills for state criminal and/or civil jurisdiction, clippings, comparisons with other states)
1957-1975, undated
5 / 12
Termination of federal supervision over tribal lands (includes Northern Cheyenne proposal to buy back land from individual families)
1959-1965
5 / 13
Tribal Leaders Conference (includes speech by Robert L. Bennett, and reports on conditions on each Montana reservation)
1966
5 / 14
United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (includes memo on Indian Social and Economic Improvement, summary of land ownership on reservations, correspondence, report of Robert L. Bennett, removal of Gilbert Morgan as Fort Belknap realty assistant, mineral prospecting on Indian reservations, agreement with Montana Division of Vocational Rehabilitation)
1949-1967
5 / 15
United States Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare (re tuberculosis)
1957, 1967-1969
5 / 16
United States Office of Economic Opportunity (re War on Poverty Programs on Montana reservations)
1963-1966
5 / 17
White House Conference on Children and Youth (includes report of special conference by Arrow Inc. to plan Indian participation in conference, report of committee on problems of Indian youth)
1959-1960
5 / 18
Work training programs (re "Bill to provide for the economic development of the resources of individual Indians and Indian tribes, and for other purposes")
1966-1967
5 / 19
Robert Yellowtail (includes writings)
1963-1967
5 / 20
Yellowtail Dam (includes article by Wilson F. Clark and Robert Yellowtail, brochures)
1956-1963

Miscellany Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5 / 21
Equal Employment Opportunity Seminar proceedings
1970
5 / 22
Governors' Advisory Council meeting on Indian Affairs proceedings
1951
5 / 23
Helena Indian Conference proceedings
1966
5 / 24
Montana Indian tourism conference proceedings
1965
5 / 25
State organizations for coordination of Indian affairs questionnaire
1970
5 / 26
Miscellaneous (includes dedication of Henrietta Crockett Indian Wing of Montana Tuberculosis Sanitarium, party platforms, remarks of Tim Babcock at dinner honoring Governor Knowles, statistics on Indian highway deaths, proclamation by Gov. John Bonner, list of Indian dancers, "New Horizons in Indian Arts and Crafts")
1952-1967, undated

Clippings Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5 / 27
Education
1930-1967
5 / 28
Juvenile delinquency
1960-1961
5 / 29
Indian programs, Economic Development Rights
1954-1968
5 / 30
Hill 57, Great Falls
1961
5 / 31
Political philosophy of K.W. Bergen
1961

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Assiniboine Indians
  • Atsina Indians
  • Blackfeet Indians
  • Cheyenne Indians
  • Chippewa Indians
  • Cree Indians
  • Crow Indians
  • Dakota Indians
  • Electric power--Montana
  • Grazing leases--Montana
  • Indians of North America
  • Indians of North America--Education--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Government relations--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Health and hygiene--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Legal status, laws, etc.--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Politics and government--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Public welfare--Montana
  • Indians of North America--Reservations--Montana
  • Irrigation--Montana
  • Landless Indians--Montana
  • Petroleum industry and trade--Montana
  • Radioactive waste disposal--Montana
  • Salish Indians
  • Salish Indians
  • Scholarships--Montana

Geographical Names

  • Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Crow Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Flathead Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Fort Peck Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Kerr Dam (Mont.)
  • Knowles Dam (Mont.)
  • Missouri River Watershed
  • Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • Rocky Boys Indian Reservation (Mont.)
  • St. Ignatius (Mont.)
  • Wind River Indian Reservation (Wyo.)
  • Yellowtail Dam (Mont.)