Correspondence Regarding the Status of American Indians in 1960, 1960-05-26

Item — Box: 45, Folder: 8B

Identifier: CAC_CC_004_5_45_8B_0010

Staff Only

Correspondence Regarding the Status of American Indians in 1960, 1960-05-26

The document is a letter from Houston C. Benge to Page Belcher, a Member of Congress, discussing a suggestion regarding the American "Indian" status. Benge proposes settling all claims by Indians against the government and establishing them as "Americans" to eliminate discrimination and add prestige to their status. He suggests discontinuing the use of the term "Indian" and using "American aborignees" instead. Benge also references a news article about discrimination against an Indian family in Chicago as an example of the need for change.