7 4 I .3X8/13 * A 7*/ IN T E R IO R N O M IN A T IO N ^ ^bb'?~ V GOVERNMENT Storage H E A R IN G BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE EIGH TY -NINTH CONGRESS •ft J ' ’ »L • >)} *» 5iZ ’ ‘I l * SECOND SESSION ON TH E NO MINATIO N OF RO BE RT L aFO LL ET TE BE NN ETT, OF ALASKA, TO BE CO MM ISSION ER OF INDIAN AFF AIR S U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE Cl 204 WASHINGTON : 1966 si ’.8 XC. > 'A a- COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSU LAR AFFAIRS HENRY M. JACKSON, Washington, Chair ma n CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico THOMAS H. KUCHEL, California ALAN BIBLE, Nevada GORDON ALLOTT, Colorado FRANK CHURCH, Idaho LEN B. JORDAN, Idaho ERNEST GRUENING, Alaska MILWARD L. SIMPSON, Wyoming FRANK E. MOSS, Utah PAUL J. FANN IN, Arizona QUENTIN N. BURDICK, North Dakota CARL HAYDEN. Arizona GEORGE McGOVERN, South Dakota GAYLORD NELSON, Wisconsin LEE METCALF, Montana Jerry T. Verkler, St aff Direc to r Stewart F rench, Ch ief Counsel n NOMINATION OF ROBERT L. BENNETT TO BE COM­ MISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS FR ID A Y , A PR IL 1, 19 66 U.S. S enate, Committee on I nterior and I nsular A ffairs, Washing ton, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in room 3110, Senate Office Building, Senator Henry M. Jackson (chairman of the com­ mittee) presiding. Present: Senators Henry M. Jackson, of Washington; Clinton P. Anderson, of New Mexico; Alan Bible, of Nevada; Frank Church, of Idaho; Ernest Gruening, of Alaska; Quentin N. Burdick, of North Dakota; George McGovern, of South Dakota; Gaylord Nelson, of Wisconsin; Lee Metcalf, of Montana; Milward L. Simpson, of Wyo­ ming; and Paul J. Fannin, of Arizona. Also prese nt: Senators Bartlett and Mundt, and Congressman Reifel. Also present: Stew art French, chief counsel; James FI. Gamble, professional staff member; and E. Lewis Reid, minority counsel. The C hairman. The committee will come to order. This morning the full committee is meeting for the purpose of con­ sidering the nomination submitted by the President of Robert L. Bennett to be Commissioner of Indian Affairs. I believe most mem­ bers of this committee are acquainted with Mr. Bennett, who has served in the Bureau for many years. On March 29, 1 announced in the Congressional Record that this hearing would be held. I also included a biographical sketch Commissioner-designate, and a copy is before each mei ' committee. I order that it also be placed in the hearing fecord this point. (The document referred to follows:) Robert L. B ennett Born November 16, 1912, on the Oneida Indian Reservation EDUCATION Attended public and parochial schools in Wisconsin. Was graduated in 1931 from Haskell Institute (Indian school) at Lawrence, Kans., where he specialized in business administration. Holds degree of LL.B. from Southeastern Univer­ sity School of Law. OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND 1933-38: Served with the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency a t the Ute Reser­ vation in Utah. Also served in various capacities with the Ute Tribal Council and as trea sure r of three Indian livestock associations in the area. 1938-45: Assigned to Washington office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, as specialist in realty a ffa irs; late r transferred to Navy agency. 1944-45 : Pfc., Marine Corps. 1 2 INTERIOR NOMINATION 1946-48: Directed training program for World War II Indian veterans as member of staff of Phoenix, Ariz., office, Veterans’ Administration. 1949-51: Rejoined Bureau of Indian Affairs in capacity of Job Placement Office, Aberdeen Area, serving Indian groups in the Dakotas. 1951-54: Reassigned to Washington, D.C., office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, to assist in tribal development programs. 1954-56: Superintendent of Consolidated Ute Indian Agency, Ignacio, Colo. 1956-62: Reassigned to Aberdeen Area Office and appointed Assistant Area Director. 1962-65: Appointed Area Director of Indian Affairs for the Alaska region, with headquarters in Juneau. 1966: Appointed Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C. ORGANIZATION AF FILIAT IONS American Academy of Political Social Science; American Society for Public Administration ; National Congress of American India ns; Member of the National Advisory Committee for Indian Youth; Board of directors, Arrow, Inc.; and Rotary International. FA MILY DATA Married to former Mrs. Cleota Minor Brayboy of Baltimore, Md., a social worker. Six children: John, a Navy veteran now living in Phoenix, Ariz.; William, a Navy veteran now living in Livermore, Calif.; Leo, a Marine veteran living in Phoenix ; and Joanne, David, and Robert, living at home. The C hairman. We have received a number of communications en­ dorsing Mr. Bennett, and they, too, will be included in the record at the end of the oral testimony. We have also received a communication from the All-Indian Council, from Albuquerque, N. Mex. That will be included in the record also. I understand that the nominee this morning will be introduced by the Assistant Secretary, Hariy’ R. Anderson. Before doing that, however, I would like to call on Senator Ba rt­ lett and Congressman Reifel, of South Dakota, who have asked to ap­ pear here at the outset of the hearing. First of all, I will ask Senator Bartlett to make a statement. STATEMENT OF HON. E. L. BARTLETT, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ALASKA Senator B artlett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the com­ mittee; I appear before you to submit a letter directed to me, protest­ ing confirmation of the nomination of Mr. Bennett. This letter is written and signed by Mr. Fred W. Grant, Jr., president of the H yda ­ burg, Alaska, Cooperative Association. (The letter referred to follows:) Hydaburg, A laska, March 11, 1966. Senator E. L. Bartlett, Congress of the United States, Washington, D.C. Dear S enator: Attached hereto are statements presented to Mr. Newton Edwards, Department of the Interior representative conducting hearings on the ■closure of operations at the cannery owned by members of the Hydaburg Co­ operative Association. Also a few letters are attached th at we thought may be of interest to you. I want to suggest tha t you work against the confirmation of Mr. Robert L. Bennett’s appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. We feel he has INTE RIOR NOMINATION 3 deliberately twisted the tru th in our case to justify his actions. This should disqualify the man to hold such an important post. He along w ith Mr. Wright and Mr. Walker, BIA officials at Jun eau , Alaska, should be tra nsferred to positions they are better qualified to handle. Than k you for your help in making the hearing possible, thus affording us a chance to make our grievances known. Best regards. Very tr uly yours, Fred W. Grant, Jr., President, Hydaburg Cooperative Association. Senator B artlett. I also submit, in case it has not already been directed to you, a communication from the Metlakatla Indian Com­ munity, Henry S. Littlefield, mayor, endorsing Mr. Bennett. (The document referred to follows:) Metlakatla, Alaska, March 30,1966. Hon. E. L. B artlett, Senate Building, Washington, D.C.: We would like to endorse the appointment of Hon. Robert L. Bennett for the post of Commissioner of Indian Affairs. We have had excellent rela tions with Mr. Be nnett and know he has the ability and the background for a high executive office in the BIA. Again we commend the choice of Mr. Bennett for Com­ missioner. T he M etlakatla I ndian C ommunity, Henry S. Littlefield, Mayor. Senator B artlett. Likewise, I should like to call to the attention of the committee Senate Resolution No. 13 of the Alaska S tate Legisla­ ture, signed by Robert J. McNealy, president of the senate, passed by the Senate of Alaska on March 25, 1966, endorsing Mr. Bennett’s appointment. (The document referred to follow s:) Received March 31, 1966, in the Senate, by the local government comm ittee: Senate R esolution N o. 13 in the L egislature of the State of Alaska F ourth Legislature, S econd S ession EXTENDING CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT L. BENNETT Be it resolved by th e senate: Whereas the prog rams of the Departme nt of the Interio r executed through the Bureau of Ind ian Affairs are of vital intere st to Alaska; and Whereas Alaskans have a continuing intere st in appointments to the post of Commissioner of Ind ian Affa irs ; and Whereas the Pre sident has nominated the H onorable Robert L. Bennett to the post of Comm issioner; and Whereas the Honorable Robert L. B ennett served with distinction as the Alas­ ka are a director, Bureau of Indian Affairs ; and be it Resolved by the senate, Th at cong ratu lations and best wishes for a productive administration are extended to the Honorable Robert L. B ennett on his nomina­ tion f or the post of Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lyndon B. Johnson. President of the United Sta te s; the Honorable Ste wart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interio r; the Honorable Hen ry M. Jackson, chairman, Senate Inter ior and Insular Affairs Committee; and to the Honorable E. L. Bartle tt and the Honor­ able Ernest Gruening, U.S. Senators and the Honorable Ralph J. Rivers, U.S. Representative, Members of the Alaska delegation in Congress. Senator B artlett. Personally, I appear before you supporting this nomination. I should like to speak a few words, if I may, concerning the communications from Hydaburg.