Editor the Daily Olympian: There are two basic facts of the Indian controversy.
- A Treaty was signed giving the Indians fishing rights in the usual and accustomed places.
- The white man is now living off the Indians’ homeland while continuing to break the Indian Treaties.
Instead of using subtle and devious means trying to weasel out of the treaties by clouding the issue and distorting the facts, we should rectify our injustices by honoring these promises, improving the Indians treatment, and allowing the Indians to decide what is best for themselves. The greatest majority of American Indians are reasonable people who have been forced to live under brutal and vicious conditions imposed upon them by unscrupulous white men. If there are any new problems to be met the Treaty may be mutually renegotiate but never under threats of force. We cannot hide the facts by being hypocritical and finding alibis for our broken treaties and inhumane treatment of our plundered American Indian. The fact remains that we are living on Indian lands that were seized by treachery, force and murder. We are living under a cloud of broken vows. We are continuing to exploit, starve, and jail the Indians. It is happening now. . . in the twentieth century. It seems there is a very thin line of demarcation between the white savage of 200 years ago and the white savage of today. I am beginning to wonder if the rest of the citizens are condoning this persecution of the Indians since very few are speaking out against it. Washington is not a Gestapo State . . . yet, although, I am beginning to have doubts when people show such violent resentment against non-Indians or out-of-staters who are trying to defend the Indians against shameful injustices. * * *I have always been loyal to the United States, but stand against greedy or corrupt men who twist the facts and pass discriminatory laws to exploit the minority for selfish purposes Tomorrow, these same greedy men will change and distort the laws to exploit and enslave the majority. None of us can escape the guilt for the present conditions. The honorable solution is to immediately release the Indians from jail pay them damages for their unnecessary suffering and arrest, and abide by the Indian Treaties.