Empowering American Indians: New Directions in Indian Affairs, 1973-05-07

Item — Box: 26, Folder: 16

Identifier: CAC_CC_009_1_26_16_0019

Staff Only

Marvin L. Franklin, Assistant to the Secretary for Indian Affairs, discusses the challenges faced by American Indians and the need for new directions in Indian Affairs. He highlights the various lifestyles adopted by Indians, including those who live off reservations, those who retain tribal customs in off-reservation communities, and those who commute to work from reservations. Franklin emphasizes the need for self-determination and economic development among Indian communities. The Department of the Interior is implementing a new program to transfer administration for Indian affairs to tribal governments, with minimal control retained in Washington. The program aims to empower tribes and increase tribal control over budget, education, contracts, and economic opportunities. The President's message of July 1970 rejects forced termination of treaty and trust obligations, signaling a new era in which Indian destinies will be controlled by Indian decisions.