Lorena M. Burgess Papers, 1907-1973

This series contains correspondence and writings related to the Flathead Reservation. This series also contains Tribal Council papers, including information about enrollment, minutes from meetings, election notices and other writings, proposed tribal ordinances, budgetary writings, and the minutes from various tribal committees.

The series contains correspondence between Lorena Burgess and Senator James E. Murray of Montana regarding issues on the Flathead Reservation, including Burgess’s efforts to have the supervisor of the Flathead Agency, L.W. Shotwell, transferred. Of particular interest is a collection of “Affidavits of Indians,” an indexed series of affidavits that Burgess collected from the residents of the Flathead Reservation for the purpose of testimony in Congress for the repeal of the Wheeler-Howard Act.

The series contains drafts of the transcript of a radio broadcast that Lorena Burgess delivered about the state of the Flathead Reservation and proposed plans to terminate federal supervision over the Flathead Reservation. There are also various writings related to individuals on the Flathead Reservation.

The series contains minutes, financial statements, correspondence, various writings, and architectural drawings from the Hot Springs Corporate Enterprise, a Flathead tribal enterprise, prepared by the firm Perkins, Wheeler, and Howard.

The series contains correspondence and publications related to Native Americans in Montana, encompassing issues affecting those tribes outside of the Flathead Reservation. The contents of this series include materials related to the Indian Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Montana, various writings of Montana Indian organizations, particularly associations dealing with health issues in Montana, such as the Montana Tuberculosis Association. One item of particular note in this series is a questionnaire that Lorena Burgess prepared to gather demographic information and other facts about reservations in Montana.

The series contains publications and writings related to various state and national Indian organizations, including the Governors’ Interstate Council on Indian Affairs, the American Indian Federation, and the National Congress of American Indians.

Most of the materials in the series are related to the Governors’ Interstate Indian Council (GIIC), in which Burgess was involved. The series contains newsletters, programs, minutes, and correspondence, etc. related to the Governors’ Interstate Indian Council. The series contains correspondence between Lorena Burgess and Governor Bonner regarding the GIIC Conferences. The series also contains fact-finding correspondence related to the conferences that Burgess attended and more routine letters about travel plans and expenses, general informational mailings, etc.

The series contains writings, correspondence, and publications related to national legislation that had an impact on the Flathead Reservation. Notably represented are writings and publications related to the repeal of the Wheeler-Howard Act, including Burgess’s testimony before Congress. Also represented are efforts to end federal supervision over national reservations, including the Flathead Reservation. There is considerable correspondence related to the termination of federal supervision that Burgess solicited from tribal members regarding their opinions of the legislation. The series also contains drafts of bills written by the Flathead people.

National issues represented in the series include the Flathead Irrigation District, the Columbia Valley Administration, and the Paradise Dam proposal. The series also contains bills, hearings, resolutions, public laws, and copies of the Congressional Record that Burgess saved related to Native American issues.

The series contains speeches and writings of Burton K. Wheeler related to his viewpoint of U.S. involvement in WWII. The bulk of the series is comprised of a series of speeches and writings that are arranged according to an index compiled presumably by Lorena Burgess for a project. The speeches are from Congressional Records, GPO publications, and other sources, many of which are typewritten. Each document was assigned a number that corresponds to the index: “Speeches and Statements of Burton K. Wheeler.”

The series also contains a few folders of speeches and writings related to Burton K. Wheeler and the WWII issue that are not indexed.

The series contains personal correspondence, financial statements, and various writings.

The series contains clippings and publications from various sources. Most of the clippings are related to Native American issues and other current events. She collected newsletters and other publications on western Montana and Flathead Reservation history. The publications represented include Char-Koosta News and the Missoulian.