Colville Tribal Council votes opposition to proposals of Collier
Younger unit for it
Association, voters and better educated fear tax confiscations under old order
NESPELEM - The tribal council of the Colville Indian reservation, mostly older, uneducated Indians, met here to have the Howard and Wheeler bill, for community government, read and interpreted to them.
Before the meeting the Indians were strongly in favor of the bill but their attitude changed as the bill was read by Louie Wapato in English while his brother, John, translated in the Wenatchee tongue.
CONFUSED BY LEGAL WORDING
The legal phraseology helped to complicate the Indians' misunderstanding of the bill and to further help the Indians' disapproval, the interpreter showed a mark feeling of prejudice against the bill, when he made several long speeches in Wenatchee in explanation of the program of John Collier, commissioner of Indian affairs.
The morning of the third day of the meeting, the council directed Louie Wapato to draft three petitions to be sent to Collier, Congressman Sam B. Hill and Senator C.C. Dill, asking rejection of the bill. A query developed that only one member of the council of 50 was a voter but the Indians unanimously signed the petition by thumb marks.
The only ones present who refused to sign were members of the Colville Indian association. Only one Indian, Victor Nichols, Inchelium, represented his district of 400 members. The Marcus and Boyds district had no member present.
JEALOUS OF LEADERSHIP
The Indians contention, when an objection was presented, was that Chief James Bernard of the original Colville Indians had "turned white man" by approving the new organization to give all Indians equal voices in their problems with the government.
Ever since the Colville association organized three years ago the tribal council has noticeably clashed and has held a prejudiced feeling toward the educated Indians for their intrusion of jurisdiction as leaders of the reservation.
Under the old law the tribal council is 100 percent guarded by the law of the allotments system of 1887. According to that law the Indians can not organize, nor gather in any assembly against the government.
The Tribal council understands that well enough to keep its leadership on all the reservations jealously guarded.
POWER OF VOTES SUGGESTED
The Colville Indian association felt they had a legal right to call a meeting on their behalf, two days after the older group finished. The meeting was held at the Columbia river road camp, where many of the members were working.
They unanimously voted in favor of the bill. It was agreed that nine petitions would be drawn up and sent to members over the reservation, for support by signature, to be present to Commissioner Collier as approval of the new program.
The organization carries the majority of the population of the reservation and the educated Indians are in high hopes of carrying the majority of signatures in favor of the bill. They contend that many of their group are taxpayers and voters and that their appeal will not be ignored by Congressman Hill and Senator Dill.
BOTH SIDES SEEK WELFARE
The older Indians' comment at the meeting was: "We want to stay Indians; we need what land we have left for garden patches to feed our children; we can not let the government take that away from us for community property under the self-government rule."
The younger, educated group commented on the contrast:
"We must approve the bill to save our old people that can not compete with the white man in earning a living. The north half will be taxed in 1935 and south half in 1940. In 10 years after taxation our people will be paupers by land confiscation through taxation."
Feeling has arisen between the tribal council and the association since the last two meetings. Ever since the bills came to the Colville Indians in early March, the Indians have been in a startled and turmoiled state over the proposal of Commissioner Collier for the benefit of the Indians.
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