Indian rights groups strongly object to the leg-
islation, which they see as a major threat to tribes’
right to self-government. Despite their opposition,
the provisions of Public Law 280 will remain in
place until the passage of the Indian Civil Rights
Act (see entry for APRIL 18, 1968).
1954The Cahuilla elect an all-woman tribal council.
Although traditionally Cahuilla women were not
involved in the leadership of the tribe, a dwin-
dling male population forces the Cahuilla of Palm
Springs, California, either to elect female leaders or
allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to handle
their business affairs. The Cahuilla choose the for-
mer path, electing five women to a five-member
tribal council. Its head, Vyola Olinger, will prove to
be adept at negotiating with BIA representatives.
May
A Pennsylvania town names itself after
Jim Thorpe.
A year after the death of Sac and Fox sports hero Jim
Thorpe (see entry for SUMMER 1912), the town of
Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, votes to change its
name to Jim Thorpe. The idea is proposed by Thor-
pe’s widow, Patricia, who arranges for his body to be
buried in Mauch Chunk, against the wishes of his
children. The Jim Thorpe grave site is the focus of the
town’s attempt to bring tourists and new industries to
the economically depressed area.
October 11
Maria Tallchief appears on the cover of
Newsweek.
In a cover story, Newsweek magazine profiles Osage
ballerina Maria Tallchief. The story focuses on her
new salary of $2,000 a week, which the Ballet Russe
used to lure her away from the New York City Bal-
let. Hailed as the only living dancer who can rival
in technical mastery the greatest European and Rus-
sian ballerinas, Tallchief, the article notes, is now
the highest-paid ballerina in the world. (See also
entry for DECEMBER 1996.)1955January 23War hero Ira Hayes is found dead on the
Pima reservation.
The body of 33-year-old Ira Hayes, the most cel-
ebrated Indian soldier during World War II (see
entry for FEBRUARY 24, 1945), is found on the Gila
River Reservation in Arizona. Following a night of
drinking, he apparently passed out about a mile
away from his parents’ house and died of exposure.
The tragedy of Hayes’s death becomes a pub-
lic symbol of the difficulties many Indian soldiers
have faced after returning to the United States after
the war. In the military they had been treated with
respect, but at home they found that, despite their
service and sacrifice, they were largely regarded with
contempt, as members of one of America’s most
hated minorities.July 1The U.S. Public Health Service takes over
Indian health care.
The federal government transfers responsibility for
Indian health care from the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs to the U.S. Public Health Service. Administered
under the newly created Division of Indian Health,
funds spent on Indian health care will dramatically
increase over the next several decades. Nevertheless,
the health of most Indians will remain below the na-
tional average.1956A Lakota tax on non-Indian ranchers is
upheld in federal court.
The Lakota Sioux outrage white ranchers when they
levy a tax on all non-Indians leasing land on South