J.W. "Duke" Wellington Papers, 1876-1974

W. T. Hughes was an Indian agent at Standing Rock Agency in North Dakota. The photocopied correspondence in Series 3 are letters he wrote and received concerning the agency. Issues include budgets, overuse of food supplies, transferring Indians to the agency, and Department of the Interior information.

During his career in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wellington was responsible for correspondence in his office. The correspondence in Series 2 cover a wide range of topics and issues Wellington faced while at Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy, Standing Rock and Wahpeton Indian School. Topics include Indian policies, reservation activities and conditions, working with tribal councils and American Indians, law and order on the reservation, and office policies and practices.

The Superintendent's Memorandums found in Series 3 are memos Wellington wrote concerning the various offices he supervised while in the BIA.

Series 3 also contains addresses and speeches delivered on American Indian topics such as withdrawing federal supervision of the American Indian, aims and objectives of the Indian service, the outlook for the American Indian, graduation addresses at Wahpeton Indian School, individual rights of members of tribal organizations, and the American Indian way of life. The addresses and speeches have been arranged chronologically. Other speeches on education can be found in Series 5.

Legal papers found in Series 3 include court cases before the Claims Commission, petitions, attorney's contract, and a juvenile court case. The papers have been arranged chronologically.

Many conferences and workshops were held to discuss issues concerning the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They have been divided into general conferences, conferences for Area Directors, and Superintendents Conferences.

Subseries 1 of Series 5 contains correspondence and memorandums dealing with education issues concerning American Indians and reservation schools. Many are letters Wellington wrote to various Indian agencies on the condition of their schools and farms while he was supervisor of education, livestock and dairy in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Subseries 2 of Series 5 contains speeches and reports concerning American Indian education and schools.

Wellington collected many subject files on issues relating to education. Subseries 3 of Series 5 contains files on teaching American Indians, the Wahpeton Indian School, approaches to American Indian education, educational newsletters and pamphlets, boarding schools, educational philosophy, curriculum development, and teacher orientation workshops.

Wellington collected many general subject files on various issues concerning American Indians. Subseries 1 of Series 7 contains general histories and reports he collected as well as miscellaneous papers. Many of these subject files contain narratives by Wellington explaining the material as well as giving his opinion and viewpoint on the issues.

Wellington's first position as superintendent was at the Fort Belknap Consolidated Agency with headquarters in Harlem, Montana. Wellington oversaw both the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy Subagency. Subseries 2 of Series 7 contains subject files Wellington collected on Fort Belknap. Material on Rocky Boy are found in Subseries 3. Subject files on Fort Belknap include reports and programs regarding Fort Belknap, tribal histories and legends, and minutes from tribal and community council meetings.

As a subagency of the Fort Belknap Consolidated Agency, some of the information on Rocky Boy can also be found in Subseries 3. Subject files in Subseries 3 of Series 7 contains information of plans for creating the Rocky Boy reservation and the history of the agency as well as minutes from various council meetings.

After spending seven years as superintendent at Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy in Montana, Wellington transferred to Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. Wellington was superintendent at Standing Rock until 1956 when he suffered a heart attack. Subject files in Subseries 4 of Series 7 contains papers from the Aberdeen Area Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs which included Standing Rock, information on economic and social conditions on the reservation, histories and reports, fiscal problems and conditions at the Standing Rock agency jail.

In addition to the tribes Wellington worked with as superintendent of the Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy and Standing Rock reservations, he also tried to collect information on various American Indian tribes across the United States. Subseries 5 of Series 7 contains material on tribes such as the Apache, Cherokee, Hopi, Sioux, and Blackfeet. He also collected regional material on Indian groups.

Subseries 6 of Series 7 contains subject files on American Indian issues and topics such as civil rights, culture and heritage, economic development, health, lands, religion, legends, self-rule, and welfare.