Indian Conference Opens Here

Representatives from more than a dozen American Indian tribes began a two-day Harvard conference yesterday with a discussion of Indian education and tribal development.

Phil Cross, a member of the Caddo tribe and executive director of the United Indian Planners Association said yesterday afternoon past attempts at Indian economic development had resulted in "a pretty sorry situation," adding that government aid programs often lacked the emphasis on investment needed for development.

"There's a lot of federal money going to the reservations, but most of it's burned up before there is a chance to invest it," Cross said.

Cross said another reason for the failure of attempts at economic development was simply that "most Indians still have little knowledge of the capitalist or entrepreneurial system, except that they have been exploited by it."

The Sixth Annual American Indian Conference began yesterday with a discussion of issues unique to Indians in the New England area. Representatives from the Wampanoags and other area tribes discussed Indian land claims and attempts at gaining federal recognition for New England tribes.

The Wampanoags, located primarily on Cape Cod, are seeking recognition from the federal government and are currently attempting to regain control of their ancestral lands, Frank Ryan, president of the tribe, said yesterday.