1983 “If you want an example of the failure of socialism, don’t go to Russia – come to America and go to the Indian reservations.”

Watt Remark Draws Anger From Indians 

 1983 Jan 20, The Pittsburgh Press

      Washington – Angry Indian leaders are calling for the ouster of James Watt, accusing the Interior secretary of a racial slur by saying that Indian reservations represent the “failure of socialism.”

      Watt said today his remarks were intended to help Indians “get the federal government off their backs” and end a century of shameful treatment by Washington bureaucrats.

      But Rex Evans, executive director of the Nashville-based United South and Eastern Tribes, said there is a “major outcry going across Indian country to call for Watt’s removal. It’s the most genocidal racial slur we’ve ever heard from a government official.”

      James Billie, a Seminole Indian leader, labeled Watt’s position on reservations “racist” and also called for Watt’s resignation. 

      Watt said yesterday on TV that 1.4 million American Indians living on government-maintained reservations experience overwhelming social problems, including drug abuse, alcoholism, unemployment, divorce and venereal disease. 

      “Every social problem is exaggerated because of socialistic government policies on the Indian reservation,” Watt said. “If you want an example of the failure of socialism, don’t go to Russia – come to America and go to the Indian reservations.” 

      Leaders of Washington state’s 23 Indian tribes also criticized Watt’s remarks. “It’s kind of a racism talk and I don’t think the country needs that kind of a statement coming out of an Interior secretary,” said Nisqually Tribal Chairman Billy Frank.

      Watt’s spokesman, Doug Baldwin, said Watt was not “criticizing the dominant role of the federal government over the affairs of Indian governments.” Baldwin strongly denied Watt favors abolishing the reservation system. 

Watt says remarks were intended

By Martin Crutsinger

1983 Jan 20, The Advocate Messenger 

      Washington – Interior Secretary James Watt said today his controversial remarks about Indian reservations were intended to help Indians “get the federal government off their backs” and end a century of shameful treatment by Washington bureaucrats. 

      Watt, in an interview on ABC-TVs “Good Morning America,” said “the tribal governments are good, the Washington government is oppressive… Let’s help those people help themselves rather than abuse them like government’s done in the past 100 years. It’s a shameful thing we’ve done.”

      Interviewed on a separate television program earlier this week. Watt said the reservation system amounted to a “terrible socialism” and told a questioner.

     “If you want an example of the failures of socialism, don’t go to Russia. Come to America and see the Indian reservations.”

      The remarks brought a call for his ouster from New Mexico Gov Toney Anaya, a Democrat, and expressions of outrage from Indian leaders. One said the secretary’s statement were the greatest threat to the Indians “God-given culture since smallpox.”

      Many Indian leaders saw Watt’s comments as a veiled threat to renew attempts to abolish the reservations and sell off the 50 million acres of reservation lands.

      But Watt said today his desire for “tribal self-government… The Indian governments are good: the Washington government is oppressive. That’s what needs to be reduced.” 

      He said calls for his removal are coming from “a very small segment of the Indian community and on the other hand, some Indian leaders want what I’m talking about. They’re saying ‘Jim Watt’s correct. Let’s address the cause not the symptoms.”

      Of the charge that he’s trying to drive the Indians off their land. Watt said: “It’s their land I want them to be able to run their land and not a bunch of bureaucrats like Jim Watt and others dictating from Washington how they should handle their land. They’re better able then we are.” 

      Watt, in the initial interview on the Satellite Program Network, said government policy toward the 735,000 Indians living on reservations had led to the “highest divorce rate, highest drug rate, highest alcoholism rate, highest unemployment rate, highest rate of social diseases,” in the country.

      The interior secretary called for the Indians to be given their freedom instead of being treated as “incompetent wards” of the state. He used the phrase “terrible socialism” to describe the reservations.

      But one Indian leader, Elmer Savilla, former chairman of the Queechan tribe of California and executive director of the National Tribal Chairmen’s Association said. “All of this is part of a pattern going on for the last year and a half calling for termination of the Indian tribes,” [he] said.

      Savilla said his organization, which represents 154 Indian tribes, would hold an emergency meeting Monday to vote on whether to seek Watt’s ouster. He predicted the majority of the tribal representatives would support such a resolution. 

1983 Jan 20, The Pittsburgh Press 

1983 Jan 20, The Advocate Messenger