INDIANS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS SEVENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON S. 1424 A BILL TO REPEAL THAT PROVISION IN THE ACT OF AND S. 2589 A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF PART OF THE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF MISSION OCTOBER 24, 1935, APRIL 6, 1936, JULY 6, 29, AND AUGUST 16, 1937 1755 Printed for the use of the Committee on Indian Affairs UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1937 The subcommittee met pursuant to call, at 1 p. m., at the Desert Inn Hotel, Agua Caliente Reservation, Calif. Present: Senator Thomas of Oklahoma, chairman. Present also: Albert A. Grorud, special assistant to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and Miss Frankie Deering, official reporter. There appeared before the subcommittee, members of the Chamber of Commerce of Palm Springs, residents, civic leaders, members of the Agua Caliente or Palm Springs Band of Mission Indians, and their representatives. Senator THOMAS. I might say that I am the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and likewise the chairman of a special committee which was created some time ago to look after any unusual matter that might come before the Congress. On former occasions, various committees have come down this way and looked over different propositions and submitted their findings to the_committee. Last winter bills (S. 3268 and H. R. 8600) were introduced in Congress that had to do with some problems here in Palm Springs, both as to tracts of land here in the city and the canyon, and other problems pertaining to these particular Indians here, so I came down to get further information. There is nothing I personally can do about it. Congress passes the laws and the Indian Office administers them, and as long as this bill is pending now in Congress and I was in the West it was suggested that I come down here in the hope that I might get as much information as possible that might be of use not only in connection with the bill which is now pending before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs but in connection with future bills to be introduced in Congress. I do not know very much about the problems here and I will be very glad to have statements made by anyone who knows what the conditions are, anyone that has any suggestions to make to the committee, it will be taken down by the stenographer and when transcribed will be available for the use of the committee when we meet again in January. In other words, I want all the information I can get from all sides. I would like to hear from the residents of Palm Springs as to what is being done that shouldn't be done, if such is the case, or what should be done to help the city and likewise to help the Indians. This committee is specially constituted to look out for the interests of the Indians. I happen to live in Oklahoma where we have one-half of 30 1 |