A few years ago someone browsing through the 40th Anniversary Issue of Reader's Digest (dated Feb. 1962) came across this reprint from the Washington News
and found it quite interesting in light of our current debates.
The quote reads:
Vice President Lyndon Johnson received the following message from a Native American Indian Chief on a reservation: "Be careful with your immigration laws.
We were careless with ours. "
Native American Observation
Recently an old Indian chief sat in his hut on the reservation, smoking a Ceremonial pipe and eyeing two U. S. Government officials sent by the President
to interview him. "Chief Two Eagles" asked one official, "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances
You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done." The Chief nodded in agreement. The official continued, "Considering all these events, in your opinion,
where did the white man go wrong?" *
The Chief stared at the government officials for over a minute and then calmly replied, "When white man found the land, Indians were running it. No taxes,
no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, women did all work, medicine man free, Indian man spent all day hunting and fishing, all night having sex." Then
the chief leaned back and smiled. "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that*
