House Subcommittee Begins Hearings to Fix Blame for $2 Million in damage to BIA

The House subcommittee on Indian Affairs is investigating the damage caused by the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) headquarters by militant Indians. Five White House officials who were involved in the negotiations that ended the takeover have refused to testify before the subcommittee, citing executive privilege. Some subcommittee members have characterized the damage as a disgraceful performance by both the Indians and the executive branch. Interior Secretary Rogers C. B. Morton, however, disagrees that the executive branch overstepped its powers and said the negotiations were handled to do the best job. Morton is the first of 17 witnesses scheduled to testify before the committee.