Page:LewisMeriam-TheProblemOfIndianAdministration.djvu/100

of the survey and to invite the Indians to present any matters that they desired to bring to its attention. The Indians’ representatives would then come forward in turn with due formality and speak, generally without any interruptions or questions from members of the staff. Members of the staff made careful, but generally not complete verbatim notes. Ordinarily the Indians spoke in their native tongue and their remarks were interpreted. Younger Indians who themselves spoke good English, used the Indian tongue out of respect for the older Indians, sometimes themselves interpreting their own remarks. Often the Indian chief as presiding officer formally requested that all Indians use the native language so that each Indian might understand what was said. In several cases where the Indians offered no objections government employees were present and in certain instances the Indians expressed a preference to have them present. Wherever the Indians expressed any objection to having government officers present, they were either not invited or if they happened to be present, they good naturedly withdrew. At times the Indians wished to express themselves with considerable positiveness with respect to certain government employees. Curiously in one instance in which the superintendent was tactfully requested to withdraw by a motion from one of the Indians that the council go into executive session with the survey staff, nothing was presented in any way that reflected on the superintendent or the other employees and the meeting was characterized by the high general level of the discussion and the freedom from petty and personal complaints. Later when certain fact material was desired, the Indians themselves suggested that the government men be requested to participate in the discussion.

At the close of these councils, as at the beginning, the spokesman for the survey would endeavor to make it clear that members of the survey staff were not government officers, that they had no power to take any administrative action, that their sole function was to investigate and report to the Secretary of the Interior. Occasionally an Indian would come up and ask that every word of the speeches would be personally transmitted to the Secretary, a request with which it is of course impossible to comply.

The survey made no effort to verify and substantiate every complaint and grievance which was presented or to consider the merits of every claim regarding boundaries and treaty rights that was