US Government Documents related to Indigenous Nations
Files
Download Full Text (789 KB)
Description
This photographic print dated May 20, 1948 depicts Three Affiliated Tribes chairman George Gillette holding his glasses so he can wipe away tears as Secretary of the Interior Julius Albert Krug signs The Garrison Dam Agreement which authorized the flooding of 156,000 acres of prime land owned by the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara tribes. There are 15 men, including Gillette, surrounding Krug, seated at a desk, as he signs. Regarding the agreement, Gillette is attributed to commenting, "We will sign this contract with a heavy heart. With a few scratches of the pen, we will sell the best part of our reservation. Right now the future doesn't look too good to us." Following negotiation regarding how the United States (US) would compensate the Three Affiliated Tribes for their land, this authorization became US Public Law 81-437 (also known as The Taking Act).
Original print housed at the National Archives Catalogue in Kansas City, Missouri in the “Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs” group. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation are noted as “subjects represented” in the collection. National Archives identifier number: 45641547; Local Identifier: 75-FB-599.
Publication Date
5-20-1948
Source
Digital file courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45641547
Keywords
Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Mandan, Nueta, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sahnish, The Taking Act, The Garrison Dam Agreement
Organizations Referenced
Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Mandan, Nueta, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sahnish, US Department of the Interior, US Bureau of Indian Affairs
People Referenced
George Gillette, Julius Albert Krug
Disciplines
American Politics | Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law | Indigenous Studies | Law and Politics | Native American Studies | United States History
Recommended Citation
United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Man Signing Document Surrounded by Group, 1948, photograph, US Government Documents Related to Indigenous Nations, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, https://commons.und.edu/indigenous-gov-docs/112/.
Cultural Institutions Notice
Attribution Incomplete
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate
Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.