December 2, 1944 Like Pulling Teeth, Thinking about Christmas, The Pick-Sloan Act of 1944 and Pumpkin Pies

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"As usual we have been awfully busy.  B talked to Dr. Brubacher the other day about his dissertation and he seemed to think everything was coming along fine.  We have been staying at home or working in the library most of the time.  We did go for a ride last Sunday and got some apples.

We don't buy Colliers but we've been hearing a lot about the Missouri Valley project.  You had better keep your house a while longer.

I'm going to a tea tomorrow afternoon at Miss Hallowell's.  She is the registrar in the department of education.

It's awfully cold today but the sun is bright.  We had an awful rain day before yesterday and a little snow yesterday.  Upper New York had 24 inches.

Is Daddy going with you to have your teeth pulled?  How are you going?

We don't know what we'll do on Christmas.  Of course, we don't even think about coming home.  That would be wonderful and maybe some of these days we can all be together again on Christmas.  The Caughlan family has invited us to Boston for a few days during Christmas but we don't think we'll go.  It would be awfully nice but we would have to go on the train and the trip would take too much time.  B thinks every minute has to be used for his dissertation if he is to get through this year.  We may ask someone to eat Christmas dinner with us.  I've been trying to do some of my Christmas shopping but it's a hard job.

I wish I had some of your pumpkin.  We couldn't get any for Thanksgiving so we had mince pie but we did get some this week so I have a pie in the oven.

Bonnie's Mother's Pumpkin Pie

I hope your new glasses will be all right and that you don't feel too badly when your teeth are pulled.  Write when you can."

                                          Lots of love,

                                                  B & Bonnie

                                                  

NOTES from Ann:  The Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944 was enacted as a means of managing all aspects of the Missouri River by creating dams and lakes.  The Act transferred ownership of much land along the river from Native Americans, to the Corps of Engineers, causing many to be displaced and a great loss of land to many tribes.  The Act generated abundant debate, controversy and in the end, compromise, and is still at the center of debate regarding flood problems in the Midwest.  For more detail, use the link below:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cts=1331315239209&ved=0CDEQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fmnrr%2Fplanyourvisit%2Fupload%2FPickSloan.pdf&ei=HkJaT6iwJafDsQLJ9bneDQ&usg=AFQjCNGY0r3EFEvBRiRoWTakhXfX6cks3g&sig2=_AL2XUG8HYFGUVHcoOUYRA

For current legislation and details on H.R. 6100, Pick-Sloan Tribal Commission Act of 2010:  http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h6100/text 

For a thorough history detailing the impact on Native Americans:  Dammed Indians: The Pick-Sloan Plan and the Missouri River Sioux, 1944-1980, by Michael L. Lawson, University of Oklahoma Press, 1994.