innell Scarlet and Black. February 28. ”DH—p. t't

Olin 13325th moth

Mr. AB. Guthrie, author oi the
novels The Big Sky and The
Thousand iiills, denies being a
Western writer. “I'm an author
that lives In the West, not a
Western writer," he says “When
you say a Western writer everyone
thinks oi books like Zane Gray and
Max Brand. That's not the West.
That‘s a myth.”

Guthrie believes that the West is
an important part oi the American
heritagei‘Wt's what made
America greatLbut he teels that
cheap paperback Westerns that
hood the bus stations are essenr
tially lies. As tor his own novels, he
doesn't think that he consciously
attempts to debunk the myth of the
West, but simply to tell an honest
story. His latest novel, iust
tinished, is the story of changes in
a settlement in the West in the
early twentieth century, In his
works he tries to avoid the
“Virginian" tormula, which he
reels ls still used by Western
writers. .

Guthrie also u rote the script ior
the movie “Shane”, an cxperlcnce
that he termed “most enjoyable”.
Although he admitted to not
generally liking to work on movie
scripts, he said that “Shane" was
an exception In it. Guthrie said, an
attempt was made to tell the story
oi the gunfighler ivho can’t retire,
on old story, in a new way. He cited
the iaet that very low Westerns
had ever shown a graveyard scene.
despite the iact that thousands of
people had been killed in the
Westerns Commenting on writing
ior movies, Guthrie said, “I'd

rather not do it, particularly on my
own novels. i tried to write a script
ior Tho Thousand ilills and just
couldn’t adapt it so i gave it to the
producer, who promptly hired a

(Little (llnnlacimre (19f $111111 Mailman:

When John Wabaunsee Chose to
attend law school. he had decided
that law represented a method that
could bring about some political
change. John Wabaunsee, '10, a
Grinnell alumnus, is a staii at-
torney for the Native American
Rights Fund.

Wabaunsee explains, ”I became
a practitioner of Indian law, in
order to help untangle the web oi a
Zooryearrold legal system and then
to work with It," Mostlv he Works
with statutory construction such as
land-leasing practices, and makes
sure that these practices coniorm
to the laws on the books and are
administered properly.

The keys to Indian affairs, as
Wabaunsee sees them, are the
tribe, home and land, and the
acknowledgement that the Indian
reservations as sovereign
nations. It does not disturb him
that some Indians \Vill assimilate
into the Anglo culture. But ior the
majority oi indians who have
resisted the melting pot, and
remain on the reservation, he sees
it as imperative that they control
their own internal affairs and
negotiate with the Federal
government as sovereign nations.
Fishing illid hunting rights are
presently to a large part controlled
by each tribe Many large tribes,
such as the Navajos. had their own
court svstelrl and laws that until
mm; were not reViewahle by any
court in the US.

Currently one issue Wabaunsee
is working ior is land rights and
compensation for “lost” Indian
lztnd Indians can work through the
Indian Claim Service in order to
ensure that treaty obligations are
fulfilled Indians who had
previo 1y remained silent on the
, we now have "advocates such as
m scli to provide competent legal
representation so the tribes can
handle the American legal system
and use the legal system ior its
advantage,"he said,He added that

indians are noiv working hard to‘

Writer to make a B Western oul 0i
it."

Guthrie, who was born In
Choteau, Mont, is an ardent
conservationist and one who is
upset by what he sees happening to
the West, He is particularly
disturbed by the prospects oi strip
mining most or eastern Montana
He said, “i guess I‘m anti-growth
or something but it seems like
there isn't any need to destroy all
the land ,, He pointed out the iact

that Montana is one oi the iew ‘ ,

places leit that never has been
aiiected greatly by man, and that
the chance to preserve the land in
its original condition is one that the
country cannot allord to miss,

Guthrie is currently living in
Missoula, Montana and ieels quite
at home there. ”There’s still plenty
olreom and air out there," he said
He thinks that there is no present
danger oi the state being
“Californicated” but that perhaps
in the iuture such things could
happen, He is particularly upset
about the change or atmosphere in
Colorado and said, ”People come
out to the Westwanting to get away
irom it all and still be able to live in
their old ways, so they just bring it
all out with them."

Although Guthrie characterizes
himseli as a conservationist he
pointed out that “conservationist
does not mean conservative." He
has spent the last lew years
speaking on conservation and
against the strip-mining groups in
Montana When he speaks about
the possibility oi mining most oi
Montana his voice rises in anger
and he speaks more quickly, ”It
would just be ioolish, You can't
destory the. whole West and have
any heritage left.”

by Al Cribbage

preserve and increase their land
base, and draw their revenue irom
the lands’ mineral resources.
Wabaunsee sees the biggest
problem, as a lawyer, in con-
vincing Indian clients, “many who
don't consider themselves part oi
the democratic process,” that the
solution to their problems is
through the legal process. “The
’Anglo courts can protect and

pholo courtesy bi OCR

.iulin ll'nhaunseo. stut’i lllt)rll(‘_
lor the Nitht‘ dine on Right,
lrund, spohc iiloiul . night about
“The .eiv Cowboys and Ill-
diaiis, ns pt rt oi the Amer
\\‘ -t t'unici-t-iicc. iiahauuscc
con, tiers it imperative that
initians. who remain on resor-
, control their on ii internal
and negotiate with the
at government as sovereign
nations.

ibouglas Halsey The

\.I‘I, Guthrie atltll'esscs a South
onngc nutlicncc \\'(‘d. evening on
“\thWi ci\boiitTht~\\' t'.‘”nsa
coil urination of the American West
('olllcl'cncc.

vindicate Indian rights.”

But one government agency that
he claims most Indians delend is
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, The
BIA, he says represents the unique
relationship between the Indians
and the Federal government, and
rather than be dismantled. it
should be reformed into a sensitive
liaison This reform Could be el-
iected by letting the individual
tribes run certain programs now
administered by the BIA, he ads
ded,

Another problem with the BIA is
that is has no definite standards to
determine what are internal and
external atlairs of the tribes, This
and hot nature of the BIA,
Wabaunsee claims, makes it
“lawless."

Wabaunsee’s tactics as a lawyer
are to “analyze what I see as the
phenomenon in American Indian
politics and movement. and what
people conceive indians to be and
play oii that conception,” He
realizes that this could be
dangerous since it is not tied to
reality, “These images and can
ceptions depend on not being in
direct Contact with the Indians ”

Although he does not feel that
violence a leasibie means to bring
about change, he does
acknowledge the positive response
Russell Means, leader 0] the
American Indian Movement.
evokes through conimntatlon “by
taking a stance and playing a role,
which draws a response oi symr
pathy irom bleeding hearts" and a
lecling ot camaraderie irom
romantic revolutionaries. Thus
Means is able to Work on his real
aim, “to reioriii internal politics on
the reservation.” ‘

Although Wabaunsee preiers to
direct his energy toward long
range problems, he hopes that
means “lncredible consciousness-
raising eiiects on the Indians,
especiallly the young people.” he
continued.

by Michael Winston

Scarlet and Black

The early pioneer-

The locus of the conference

western
inheritance oi Grinnell College iuld the
state oi lowa has been observed and
commemorated by The Conlcl'cncé on
the American West over the last week.

has

ranged irom the past to the present.
These pages, attempt to recapture not

only parts ol

the post neck-s con~

fcrenct‘, but also add a touch oi local
history pertinent to Grinnrli.

The contemporary and historic,
sometimes illusionai-y. worlds oi the
West in lorva are rendered irom the

personal perspective.
cuniercnce

in the present,
participants

John

Wuhannsr‘e illltl I\.B. Guthrie olnhtil'nte
on their inter bts ill the West.

The past prov

ed us pictures oi L‘hiL-l

Powcshiek. Gary Cooper “ho prior to
his cincnla [nine :Iltcndcd Grinncll, and

n lac,

rniie oi the iroiit page of tilt; New

York Times recounting Custer‘s deieat

at the liattlc oi the Little Big ilorii.
Though the battle occurred on June

25, |876 it did not appear on the pages ot

the New York Times until July

The

article has been abridged, as presented
here. but is illustrative oi the jour-
nalistic style oi the period and the

defensive attitude
regarding the mass-acre.
The “haunting

ul tht-

images"
Mosquakie indians captured on him

Army

of the

are the subject of a review. The tribe

still lives only do in

5 north of (irinnt'll

and is the only tribe which (“ins it (HHI

land privately,
This oiicriiig is
cilildron‘s iersr:

not

unlike

the

"Rich niiin. poor man. beggar man.

thief.
Doctor
clliel."

lawyer. and

an

Indian

 

Hal. XXE . . . Nov 7742

The Little Horn Massacre
Forceotaouolndians ‘
Attacked By LessThan
touTrneps

The dispatches giving an account oi
the slaughter oi General Custer’s
command are contirmed and sup.
piemcntcd by otlicial reports lmtvi
General A H Terry, commanding the
expedition, On June 25th Gen. Custer‘s
command came upon the main camp at
Sitting Bull and at Maior Room with
seven companies, attacking on the
other s e. The soldiers were repulsed
and a wholesale slaughter ensued. Gen
Custer. hishrother. his nephew, and his
brothenindaw were killed, and not one
plhisdetashment escaped The Ind ns
surrounded Maior Reno’s cemw
anehetd them in thehiilsdurines vmoi
day, but Gibbon's command came up.
and the motions iett The number killed
is stated at and. Two hundred and seven
menaresaid to have been buried in on
place,

it is the opinion ot Army otlicers
Chicago, Washington, a
Philadelphia, including Gens. Sherma‘
and Sheridan, that Custer was rashi
imprudent to attack such a lake
number oi indians, si irig Bull's tore
being 4000 strong. ,
soldiers are b rig conveyed to For
tineoin Additional detaiis a
anxiouslv awaited ihrouenout t

country
Q

coniirmationotthe Disaster
Probably iu,uou Sioux
Now in position

Chicago, July AAAt the head
quarters oi Lieut. Gen. Sheridan ihi
morning, all was hustle and :onlusmn
Telegrams were being constanti
received, but most at them were at
contideniiai nature and withheld tro
publtcatlon. it is known that the un
tertunate command broke camp on in
north Rosebud on June 72 tor in
purpose ol‘ proceeding in a directioi
which would bring itio the point name
about the 25th, at which place a blood
light is reported. in reply to inquirie
as to whether the attack was me b
Gen. Coslerol hisown accord, or
orderstromihedeparimeni,anan e
was given that Custer made the charo
ot his own volition.

The movement made by Custer
censured to some extent at militar
headquarters The older otticers so
that is was brought about by looiis
pride which so olten results in th
ueleatoi men, it seems that a tew pa
helore, Gen. Terry uttered tour a
ditional companies to Custer but I
Custer reiuseo them. The intornipt
luriher is iothe etteetthal Gen. Gibb.
was known to be moving up to Cvsie
and that he tCusier) knew this, an
knew that Gibbon would arrive by
toliowing day alter the engag
Custer had been ordered by Te
make a march toward the Little bi
Horn and to term a ivneiipn with
column et iniantry that was moving ,
the same point. The two columns we
then to cooperate and make an and:
instead pt marching twenty to inir
miles per day as ordered, Cusler ma.
a torced march and reached the pol
et destination two or three day
advance oi the iniantry, then, tin
himseit in treni ot the tee, he topiish
at pied to cut his way through a
punish the red devils.

The iirst dis.st h re iv b Ge

Haunting Elmagozi (19fr

Presently on exhibit in the Fine
Arts Building is a collection oi
photographs, on loan irom the
lowa State Historical Society, and
known as the Wardhtesquakie
Photograph Collection In viewing
them, many diverse thoughts come
to mind: images Frozen in Time
(trite), or maybe Haunting Faces
ior the Past. But once one becomes
familiar with their histories, how
iar they are removed irom their
original state, their impressions
are staggering The pictures you
View here on this page are in at
least their tourth state oi repror
duction: those on the wall in the
Fine Arts Building. in at least their
third. And yet. the images are
crisp. the iaces are alive and real.
not really what one would expect
irom photographs over 70 years
old. They are removed, in this
sense, yet close enough to impress
the viewer with their realit .

Actually, the collection is only
about halt or the complete
collection oi over one hundred
photographs The collection was
created by Duren Ward, a minister
with a degree in anthropology. who
came to Iowa Clty to work at the
Unitarian Church there in 1902.
Within two years he had lei-med
the lowa Anthropological Society,
and was petitioning the State

Board ior permission to do held work in
Iowa. it was granted, and in 1904 Ward
paddled up the Towa River, and discovered

the Mesquakie settlement.

In 1905 he

HA-lvirSi tJiIu Thumpsout and him

it Sank

Photographs reproduced with permis-

 

