ABSTRACT
Indian preference had been limited to one-quarter blood for initial appointments in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and later in the Indian Health Service (IHS) when health services became separated from the Bureau. The BIA, close to the seat of federal power and particularly vulnerable to the wants of its own special-interest lobby, reflected the attitudes and policies of the dominant society sooner and quicker than other institutions. The confrontation between the two employees, if it can be so-called, occurred at the beginning stages of the new emphasis on Indian preference in the BIA and the IHS. itled "Maximum Utilization of Indians," it was cosigned by Commissioner Robert L. Bennett and the Director of the Division of Indian Health. Characteristic of the blatancy of some of the abuses was the notice of a combined Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service party, to which only Indian employees were invited.
