Unresolved Accountability in 1972 BIA Building Incident: A Recap of Hearings and Events, 1972-06-01

The memo discusses the BIA hearings held by the Indian Affairs Subcommittee on December 5 and 6, 1972. It highlights the lack of clear responsibility within the government for the events at the BIA building from Nov. 2-8. White House and Justice witnesses refused to appear, citing reasons related to Executive privilege and potential harm to their case against Indians who destroyed government property. The memo also outlines the events at the BIA building, including the takeover, the decision not to remove the Indians by force, and the subsequent negotiations and decisions made by various agencies. It concludes with the decision to provide travel funds for the Indians to return home, to avoid violence and damage to the BIA building.