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[Indians] Adams' Arrest [CFOA 909]
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[Indians] Adams' Arrest [CFOA 909]
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Leonard Garment's Files
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THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1973
Old Indian Refrain: Treachery on the
use," what would the use have been?
It would have been to chronicle this
nation's shameful betrayal of its native
Indian people.
Such a "use" of Government docu-
ments-stolen or not-has been pro-
tected by the Constitution and has
been respected until recently by those
responsible for upholding it. Now all
that is changing.
The Government is asserting owner-
ship of documents-and the contents
of documents-in a systematic effort
to hide its dealings from the people.
The only reason to arrest a reporter
with documents is to keep the infor-
sock
mation away from the public, because
a reporter has no use for the docu-
ments except for his stories.
My arrest signals a new step in the
Government's ownership of the news,
of the information in official docu-
ments. It is chilling to think that the
Administration had this utter contempt
for the Constitution and for reporters
who try to tell the public about the
frequent failings of government.
Yet even more chilling is the fact
that so few in the press itself (but,
marked with the name of an F.B.I.
God, how welcome those few are) have
in part to the gener
By Les Whitten
agent to whom Adams had earlier re-
spoken up about my arrest. If the
provided by the Nix
turned some of the stolen material.
press will not defend itself, can there
Adams felt a keen
WASHINGTON - At about 8:45
Adams knew the B.I.A., after receiving
be any hope at all?
the Indian tribal go'
Wednesday morning, Jan. 31, I re-
the cartons, would probably call in the
fered the use of his
ceived a telephone call at home from
F.B.I. or send them to the F.B.I. for
the protesters and t
Hank Adams, a young Indian leader
examination.
achieve the return
who had taken part in the occupation
Just as we were about to load the
By Vine Deloria Jr.
taken as a ransom
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs build-
cartons into my car, a flood of F.B.I.
lested travel homev
ing last November.
men descended on us. I produced pen
WASHINGTON-Last week agents
testers. For nearly
When the Indians all but razed the
and paper to make notes. These were
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Adams called, begged
building and departed with tons of
snatched from my hands and replaced
arrested Hank Adams, an Indian ac-
the scattered groups
documents and other stolen material,
with a set of handcuffs.
tivist, and Les Whitten, a reporter,
turn the records tha
Adams stayed behind in Washington
The arrest was made on the basis of
as they were loading cartons of Gov-
portance to the tribe
to continue to talk with the Federal
information furnished by the "Indian"
ernment documents into Whitten's car
he was vilified by
Government.
whom Adams had expected to chauf-
to return them to the Bureau of Indian
officials and cursed
He was beginning to have success.
feur him and the papers to the B.I.A.
Affairs. The records had been part of
assistants. Yet within
The Indians were giving up some of
that morning. The "Indian" turned out
the Government documents taken by
Adams had won the
the stolen materials, and Adams, as
to be an undercover Washington po-
the Indian participants in the Trail of
protesters so that S
evidence of good faith, was passing it
liceman. The F.B.I. agent to whom the
Broken Treaties protest in November
the documents were
on to the F.B.I. He was satisfied he
boxes were addressed made a com-
of last year. The arrest of Adams de-
Last week, as he
could put major stashes of the docu-
plaint.
serves more than casual attention by
first major shipment
ments into Federal hands within a few
We were driven to an F.B.I. office
the people of America because it illus-
Bureau of Indian Aff
weeks, and in late January had advised
downtown where my notes were re-
trates too eloquently the established
was arrested. The F.I
B.I.A. officials that the return of docu-
turned. I was fingerprinted and photo-
practice of the Federal Government in
already accepted two
ments was "in the process of hap-
graphed, although throughout, with the
dealing with Indian leaders.
Hank swore in the
pening."
single exception of the notes episode,
Adams was not an original partici-
ing the warrant for ]
Because I had written a series of
the agents treated me courteously.
pant in the protest of last November.
Adams intended to
columns about the contents of some
Finally, I was taken before a Federal
He came to Washington to finish a
for his own person
of the other stolen papers, Adams noti-
Magistrates Court. After being released
book that he was writing. As the pro-
in Indian country,
fied me of the arrival of the cartons.
on my personal recognizance, I left the
test gained momentum and Federal
White House, and ag
The 8:45 A.M. call from Adams was
custody of the marshals to brood on
marshals began to threaten the Indi-
knew that Hank was
disappointing. He said the material
how a 44-year-old reporter came to be
ans occupying the Bureau of Indian
a conduit for return
was not newsworthy, but was im-
facing 10 years in prison and a $10,000
Affairs headquarters, Adams came for-
terials and records.
portant to have in the B.I.A. files
fine for trying to report the news.
ward and offered his services as medi-
It is an old story
where all tribes could consult it. I
The charge against me is that I "did
ator for the activists in hopes of pre-
ans. Osceola the Se
offered to help him transport the car-
unlawfully receive, conceal and detain
venting bloodshed and violence. For
could not be defeat
tons. He told me he had a ride.
three cardboard boxes of Government
three days he patiently negotiated
the United States A
documents, books and records, with
I skipped breakfast and hurried over
with the White House Task Force
capture him during
to Adams' apartment house. There, the
intent to convert the said property and
established to work with the Indian
Osceola stood under
person who was going to give him a
records to (my) own use or gain."
protesters. Adams was well on the way
was taken prisoner a
ride had not showed up, and we de-
As it happened, this particular group
to finding a solution to the problems of
wounds inflicted by 1
cided to use my car. He called his con-
of documents included old legal
the occupation which plagued hotter
Horse, undefeated Sic
tact at the B.I.A. and said he was "on
opinions, land records and, ironically,
heads among the Administration and
the greatest man t
a volume of the U.S. Code. These were
the way." The three cartons were
the protesters.
ever produced, was
of no "use or gain" to me as news or
When everyone headed home, thanks
render at Fort Rob
Les Whitten is an investigative report-
anything else.
er for the Washington columnist Jack
But if I had been getting them "with
Anderson.
intent to convert them to (my) own
PRESERVATION COPY
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museur
RK TIMES. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1973
C
43
Refrain: Treachery on the Potomac
use," what would the use have been?
It would have been to chronicle this
nation's shameful betrayal of its native
Indian people.
Such a "use" of Government docu-
ments-stolen or not-has been pro-
tected by the Constitution and has
been respected until recently by those
responsible for upholding it. Now all
that is changing.
The Government is asserting owner-
ship of documents-and the contents
of documents-in a systematic effort
to hide its dealings from the people.
The only reason to arrest a reporter
with documents is to keep the infor-
mation away from the public, because
a reporter has no use for the docu-
ments except for his stories.
My arrest signals a new step in the
Government's ownership of the news,
of the information in official docu-
ments. It is chilling to think that the
Administration had this utter contempt
for the Constitution and for reporters
who try to tell the public about the
frequent failings of government.
Yet even more chilling is the fact
that so few in the press itself (but,
10 of an F.B.I.
God, how welcome those few are) have
in part to the generous travel money
arrangements were made to assas-
had earlier re-
spoken up about my arrest. If the
provided by the Nixon Administration,
stolen material.
sinate him. He died shortly after his
press will not defend itself, can there
Adams felt a keen responsibility to
surrender, bayoneted in the back as
after receiving
be any hope at all?
the Indian tribal governments and of-
his arms were held by two American
bably call in the
fered the use of his services to both
soldiers. Sitting Bull, noted Sioux
) the F.B.I. for
the protesters and the Government to
holy man, was assassinated during an
achieve the return of the documents
out to load the
By Vine Deloria Jr.
arrest by Federal police. Satank, ex-
taken as a ransom to insure unmo-
traordinary Kiowa leader, was killed
flood of F.B.I.
lested travel homeward by the pro-
by soldiers while on his way to an
I produced pen
WASHINGTON-Last week agents
testers. For nearly a month, Hank
Army prison. It's an old, old story for
tes. These were
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Adams called, begged and pleaded with
American Indians.
is and replaced
arrested Hank Adams, an Indian ac-
the scattered groups of Indians to re-
And now Adams, the only person
tivist, and Les Whitten, a reporter,
turn the records that are of vital im-
trying to obey the law, the only per-
on the basis of
as they were loading cartons of Gov-
portance to the tribes. For his concern
son sensitive enough to care that the
y the "Indian"
ernment documents into Whitten's car
he was vilified by the elected tribal
records were returned, is charged with
ected to chauf-
to return them to the Bureau of Indian
officials and cursed by White House
possession of stolen Government doc-
rs to the B.I.A.
Affairs. The records had been part of
assistants. Yet within the month Hank
uments. Stolen documents! Hank
ian" turned out
the Government documents taken by
Adams had won the confidence of the
Adams is the only person concerned
Washington po-
the Indian participants in the Trail of
protesters so that slowly but surely
with returning the documents. Not the
at to whom the
Broken Treaties protest in November
the documents were being returned.
White House, not the Interior Depart-
made a com-
of last year. The arrest of Adams de-
Last week, as he was returning the
ment, and not the elected tribal
serves more than casual attention by
first major shipment of records to the
leaders. No one else cares.
an F.B.I. office
the people of America because it illus-
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Hank Adams
Arrest the man. But arrest him for
notes were re-
trates too eloquently the established
was arrested. The F.B.I. agent who had
the crime of responsible citizenship
ited and photo-
practice of the Federal Government in
already accepted two shipments from
of which he is surely guilty. Or for
ighout, with the
dealing with Indian leaders.
Hank swore in the affidavit support-
the crime of humanity in which he
notes episode,
Adams was not an original partici-
ing the warrant for Hank's arrest that
courteously.
has surely participated. There must
pant in the protest of last November.
Adams intended to use the records
efore a Federal
be a thousand crimes of which he is
He came to Washington to finish a
for his own personal use. Everyone
r being released
book that he was writing. As the pro-
in Indian country, assistants at the
guilty sensitivity, intelligence, con-
zance, I left the
test gained momentum and Federal
White House, and agent Dennis Hyton
cern, thoughtfulness, integrity.
Is to brood on
marshals began to threaten the Indi-
knew that Hank was merely acting as
We are so few in a nation of
rter came to be
ans occupying the Bureau of Indian
a conduit for return of the stolen ma-
strangers and our crimes are so mon-
n and a $10,000
Affairs headquarters, Adams came for-
terials and records.
strous. Hospitality, congeniality, friend-
t the news.
ward and offered his services as medi-
It is an old story to American Indi-
liness and trust. And we are without
ie is that I "did
ator for the activists in hopes of pre-
ans. Osceola the Seminole war chief
a champion to plead our case. The
ceal and detain
venting bloodshed and violence. For
could not be defeated in combat so
practice of treachery is not needed,
of Government
three days he patiently negotiated
the United States Army arranged to
for our only weapon and our only de-
records, with
with the White House Task Force
capture him during a truce and as
id property and
fense is our simple humanity. Treach-
established to work with the Indian
Osceola stood under a white flag he
e or gain."
ery can never conquer that.
protesters. Adams was well on the way
was taken prisoner and died from the
articular group
to finding a solution to the problems of
wounds inflicted by his captors. Crazy
ed old legal
Vine Deloria Jr., a lawyer and chair-
the occupation which plagued hotter
Horse, undefeated Sioux war chief and
man of the Institute for the Develop-
and, ironically,
heads among the Administration and
the greatest man the Sioux Nation
de. These were
ment of Indian Law, is author of
the protesters.
ever produced, was enticed to sur-
"We Talk, You Listen." He is a
me as news or
When everyone headed home, thanks
render at Fort Robinson, Neb., and
Standing Rock Sioux.
ing them "with
to (my) own
PRESERVATION Cur
'Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum