LITTLE NOTICE TAKEN OF AMERICAN INDIANS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30937, 18 December 1965, Page 2

LITTLE NOTICE TAKEN OF AMERICAN INDIANS

The American Negro problem had been stirred up until it was out of all proportion, while little comparable attention was given to the status of the American Indian, says Mrs Fran Gutteridge of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who visited Christchurch yesterday. .

Minneapolis was fortunate tn that it had no real racial problems, either Negro or Indian. Mrs Gutteridge is a member of the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church which has absorbed a Negro church in the area. “I think we have about 100 or so Negroes in the congregation and they have made a wonderful contribution," she said.

Mrs Gutteridge says that the Indians in Minnesota—there are several tribes including the Crow tribe—should be given a better chance and actively encouraged to leave the reservations and play their part in the American community. Indians are not first class citizens in the sense that they have an unrestricted right to vote. They are supported by the Federal Government, and Mrs Gutteridge considers that they are supported to such an extent that the majority have lost their incentive to leave the reservations. "Those Indians who wish to do so can go to colleges and universities, but not enough go.” she said.

Mrs Gutteridge’s main interests these days are her family of two daughters and two grandchildren and church work. She was a leader in the

girt scout movement for nearly 15 years and a treasurer of several scout groups. She is travelling with her husband, Mr R. Gutteridge, a chemical engineer with the Honeywell group. She is not able to take much interest In his work as much of it is secret and technical. Part of his work involved testing materials for instruments for space flights.

New Zealand has made a very favourable impression on Mr and Mrs Gutteridge, who are charmed with the friendliness of the people they have met.

While in Auckland they were taken to a restaurant where Mr Gutteridge was introduced to whitebait He liked it so mucn that he went back for more.