Council Requests Study of Indians

Representatives of the Intertribal Council of Harvard met with Dean May on Friday to discuss the establishment of an American Indian Studies Program at Harvard.

The group claimed that the field of American Indian Studies is a legitimate academic discipline that is grossly underdeveloped, and that Harvard should consider the possibility of instituting such a program.

Four American Indians enrolled at Harvard, two students from the Graduate School of Education, and a junior and senior from the College represented the ITC-an organization composed of both Indians and non- Indians.

One of the Indian students said that May listened responsively, promised to read the literature they gave him outlining American Indian programs at the University of Minnesota and the University of California at Davis, and finally asked the group to draw up a definite proposal.

Group to Plan

During the next two weeks the group will decide what type of organizational structure and function the program should have and will look for faculty support.

They will present their proposals to May at a meeting on February 9. If he thinks that the proposals are feasible, the group will ask that a student-faculty committee be set up to look into the situation further, an ITC spokesman said yesterday.