SPILYAY TYMOO
AUGUST 29, 1981 PAGE 5
ATNWI in Arlee, MT______________
Few show for annual meeting in Indian Country
Representives from 18 or so
tribes from the North West,
traveled to Arlee, Montana to
attend the annual meeting of
Affiliated Tribes of North West
Indians. Attendance was down
this year due to conflicting
meetings elsewhere.
Highlight of this year’s
meeting was a visit by Assistant
Secretary of the Interior for
Indian Affairs Ken Smith.
Smith arrived looking very
much the busy man he is, being
escorted by the Billings area
director and the Billings
superintendent.
Smith’s speech follows:
“I almost feel like I am home:
again.
All the familar faces out
there quickly remind me of the
times I was out there and I was
on your side.
N o—I haven’t changed
sides. I am still on your side. It’s
just that my bosses have
changed.
In fact, if I promise you
anything today, it’s because I
am ad libbing—it is sure not:
written into my remarks!
One of the reasons I wanted
to make the effort to get up here
to your meeting was because I
thought it would really feel
good to be with a group of
tribes that come from a special
p a rt of the co u n try —the
Northwest, where the land is so
productive that there are no
budget worries, where there is
plenty of water because it rains
all the time, and where there is
even a fish now and then.
M ore seriously th o u g h ,
when I took a look at my
schedule for today it was a
welcome relief from yester
day’s. Starting with a 7 a.m.
breakfast, my staff had me
b o o k e d s o lid ly — h o u r-b y
hour— into the night last night.
Between talking to BIA
employees—the media—the
National Tribal Chairmen’s
Association—it was a full day.
I want to focus my comments
today as I did yesterday with
NTCA on the challage to tribes
to achieve self-determination.
But I will take a few minutes
first to talk about why I took
the job as Assistant Secretary
for Indian Affairs—how I plan
to operate—some ideas I am
working on—and the chal
lenges and the new directions I
see for myslef and for the
seè for myself and for the
Bureau.
There are many factors.
First, it is hard to turn down the
President of our country. It was
an honor for me and for my
tribe; THAT certainly was a
factor. My primary reason,
how ever, fo r leaving the
pleasant situation I had at
Warm Springs to come to
Washington DC was this: I
thought I could do certain
things in this job that would be
truly helpful to the Indian
tribes of the United States.
I was asked to take this job
because I was a manager with a
record of success in the
development and adm inist
ration of tribal programs and
{enterprises.
Most of you, I think, would
agree that the Bureau of Indian
A ffa irs n eed s im p ro v e d
' managment. It also needs to
work more closely with Indian
tribes to help them develope
their resources and achieve
econom ic self sufficiency.
My first challenge—and it
will also be my first direction—
is to give the BIA the kind of
competent management that
will enable it to more effective
work with the Indian tribes it
serves.
I do not intend to put the
BIA and the Indian people
through another reorganiza
tio n exercise. I am not
interested in playing games
with charts and titles. Sure, I
will probably make some
organizational changes, but my
real concern is to get quality
people and give them the
chance to work with, but we are
nonetheless, going to step up
productivity and effectiveness.
I intend, for the time being at
least, to work with two
deputies. Roy Sampsel, who
many of you know,is my
deputy for operations handling
most of the former Commis
sioner’s responsibilities. He is
in charge of the day-to-day
o p e ra tio n s of th e BIA.
My b asic m an agem ent
method or approach to getting
things done will be manage
ment by objectives. It’s not
o riginal or unusual. I t ’s
TOE NESS
There was this guy who was making his first parachute jump. As
he was going down he saw this other guy going up. He shouted to
the guy, “Do you know anything about parachuting?” The guy
going up said, “No, do you know anything about Coleman
stoves?” YIKES!!!
commonsense. You set goals to
be ach iev ed . T hen you
determine the steps that will
take you to your goals; you
assign responsibility and a
deadline for each of these steps.
People know what they are
supposed to do and how much
time they have. The manager
works with his staff or his team
to keep these steps or objectives
on schedule— and the result is
inevitable. Things get done and
goals are reached.
Some of the goals I have set
for myself and for the Bureau
o f I n d ia n A ffa irs a re :
1) As trustee, to provide for
the protection and improved
m anagem ent of A m erican
In d ia n n a tu ra l resouces.
2) To help create greater
opportunity for tribes to
develope their reservations
economies.
3) To encourage and support
the strenghening of tribal
government structures and
tribal management capacities.
4) To improve education and
social p ro g ra m s on the
reservations by giving the tribes
greater a u th o rity in the
m a n a g e ria l pro cess, and
5) To make the BIA a more
effective service organization
through the use of sound
management concepts and
practices.
I will be working with ail the
BIA area directors and agency
s u p e r in te n d e n ts fo r th e
realization of these goals. I am
sure that the area directors and
the superintendents, in their
turn, will be working with you
at the local level to determine
th e ste p s o r o b je c tiv e s
necessary to achieve these
goals.
There is one substantial
organization change that we
are considering — though we
are nowhere near making any
decision. It is the consolidation
of some of the area offices. We
may have to reduce the number
of area offices to achieve
administrative cost reductions
in the Bureau. I want it
understood very clearly that we
have made no decisions in this
matter. I also think the area
offices have important mid
level management functions. I
would hate to try to operate
with 84 or more agencies
reporting directly to Washing
ton. The bottom line, however,
is th a t area offices are
vulnerable when budget cuts
must be made. If we do have to
reduce the number of area
offices, you can be sure you will
be informed and consulted.
. I want you to know also 14m
working toward improved
coordination of all Federal
programs for Indian tribes. The
situation that has existed in the tribal relationship.
past— with each department or
* I believe that the fulfillment
agency doing its own thing -on of the hopes and aspirations of
the reservations—has been
Indian people and their tribal
o b v io u s ly • w a ste fu l a n d
governments must come from
inefficient.
within—from their own will
I discussed this matter— and
and determination.
the need for a national Indian
* I believe Indian people and
policy statem ent fo r this
their tribal governments—not
A dm inistration—with Secre the Federal Government—
tary W att. The Secretary, have the prime responsibility
for several weeks now,, has
for improvement of their social
worked quietly with the White and economic growth and
House and has succeeded in development.
elevating the issue of an Indian
*T believe the proper role of
policy statement to the Cabinet the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Council level—only one step and other Federal Agencies, is
away from the Presidential to encourage and foster an
decision level.
atmosphere that will enable
Just last week, I was named tribal government to move
Chairm an of the working toward less dependency on the
group that will be responsible Federal Government.
for developing an Indian policy
* I believe the goal of moving
for this Administration. This tribes away from dependence
working group is a sub-unit of on the Federal government is in
the Cabinet Council on Human complete accord with the
Resources, chaired by the e x is tin g g o v e r n m e n t- to -
S ecretary of H ealth and government relationship and
Human Services. Represent does not in any manner
atives of five other departments diminish or alter the Federal
having Indian programs will be
trust responsibility.
on this working group and
* And finally, I believe the
R o b e rt C a rle so n , special g o v e r n m e n t a n d t r u s t
assistant to the President for relationships will be more
policy development, will be the m e a n in g fu l w hen tr ib a l
p r i n c i p a l W h ite H o u se governments are strong and
Representative.
stable and . less dependent on
I believe this development Federal funds.
alone, re-emphasizes Secretary
I realize that it is frequently
W att’s desire—and that of easier to talk about beliefs and
President Regan— to keep nbilosonhv than, it is to apply
specific concrete
Indians in the mainstream of Lhem
o u r so ciety d u rin g this situations. For example, I
Administration.
know that all of you are
At my confirmation hearing concerned about the budget
some weeks ago before the r e d u c t i o n s f o r I n d i a n
Senate Select Committee on programs. The Bureau of
Indian Affairs, I told members Indian Affairs and tribal
of the Committee some of my governments are going to have
beliefs and my philosophy to make some hard decisions.
about Indian people and We must do these things
Indian self-determ ination. knowing that less dependency
I would like to address these on the federal government is
same statements to you. I think desirable and is a goal that
they might provide some useful Indian tribes should seek.
g r o u n d w o r k f o r f u r th e r
I think the Indian tribes can
thinking about this conven find ways to use their resources
tion’s theme and about the more effectively and to solve
challenge of the 80’s for tribal their problems. The successful
goverment—achieving true self efforts of many of the tribes
d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d s e lf that belong to this organization
sufficiency.
certainly demonstrated that
I told the members of the point. It also seems to me that a
Senate committee:
substantial amount of the
* I believe in the strengths of federal funding in the past has
Indian people which have not been truly helpful. Money
enabled them to endure— has been wasted in programs
through times of adversity and that were not thought out well,
oppression unparalleled in n o t in te g ra te d in to any
history. (I am sure that you r e s e r v a t i o n p la n a n d ,
belive in that strength too. The consequently, had no lasting
Indian people are not weak! effect.
They can and they will meet the
The tribal governments now
challenges of the present time.) are challenged to come up with
* I believe Indian people better ideas, better planning
have the will and the ability to and better management. Their
self-govern and exercise wisely enterprises and development
their sovereign powers within
the framework of the Federal- Continued on page 12 * *
SS SS SS SS
There are three ways to do things—the right way, the wrong wav
and the BIA way.” YIKES!!!
SS SS SS SS
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A father was telling a friend how he finally cured his 17 year-old
son of habitually being late to school: “I bought him a car.” “But
how did that help?” “Well,” replied the father, “he has to get going
an hour earlier to find a place in the school parking lot. ” YIKES
SS SS SS SS
Dave: “Boy, oh boy! Did I catch a fish! It was tremendous! Why, it
was that long! I never saw such a fish!” Jack: “I believe
you.” YIKES
CITY--------------------------------- -S T A T E ______
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