Southern Plains Indian Relocation Returnees

Abstract

Abstract A number of prior studies of American Indian relocatees have found large numbers returning to the reservation shortly after going to their relocation city. On the basis of these studies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has reduced the budget for the Employment Assistance (relocation) program. Our study involved the relocation of 323 Southern Plains Indians from western Oklahoma from 1968 to 1972. The education level of the Southern Plains Indian relocatees was higher than most other Indian relocatees, and most of these relocatees had vocational training. They also had more contact with whites, since they did not live on reservations. Our findings would indicate that the reduction of employment assistance money should be selective rather than nationwide. The Southern Plains Indians were profiting from the program and would be benefited by a continuation of it on the same or larger scale. A detailed study was made of 47 of the Southern Plains Indians who left their relocation city within a year. Given the various reasons, the returnee rate might be reduced by more training, a better attack on alcoholism, better health care both in the rural and urban areas, improved job counseling, and improved urban facilities, such as day-care centers.