Native American factors Flashcards
1
Q
Congress and the president political progress
A
Yes
- Progressional in terms of increasing their political rights with the US, firstly giving NA the chance to earn their citizenship in 1887 through 25 years of land cultivation them in 1924 with the Citizenship Act
- Equally makes efforts to increase their rights as a tribe with the Civil Rights Act 1968 and Self Determination Act 1975
But
- What NA truly valued their tribal self determination was never truly given back to them by the Federal Government, these later developments are limited.
- Congress and the president were also very late to act on self determination, little spread throughout the period
2
Q
Congress and the president political regress/ hinderance
A
Yes
- 1871 Indian Appropriation Act ends the ability of tribes to make treaties with the government thus diminishing their political power
- Destruction of the tribal unit with the Dawes Act in 1887, through allotments the tribes were scattered never to return to the power they had as a political unit again
- In 1953 with termination policy congress and the president attacked the power of the tribe again dismantling 100 reservations, further scattering the tribe
But
- Can’t really counter the destruction of the tribe is due to the federal government
3
Q
Congress and the president land progress
A
Yes
- In 1934 the New Deal granted back 2.1 million acres
- Later the Indian Claims Commission 1946 made land grants, compensating the Puyallup tribe with $162 million
But
- This is little compensation for the land lost by NA, does little to return their land rights
- By 1992 2/3 are urbanised due to the lack of land return
4
Q
Congress and the president land regress and hinderance
A
Yes
- Ultimately it was the aggresive expansionism of the FG which caused the loss of land, for example in 1874 the treaty of fort laramie was broken resulting in the loss of the Black Hills, 22.8 million acres
- Between the Dawes Act and 1934 NA lost 2/3 of their land through poor land and poor assistance by congress and the president
But
- It was ultimately the aggression of the federal government which caused land loss
5
Q
Congress and the president cultural progress
A
Yes
- The New Deal lifted the bans of 1884 thus allowing Native American culture to flourish in the open on the reservations
- The Native American graves protection act 1990 is a later example of NA culture being respected
But
- These acts are very few and far between
6
Q
Congress and the president cultural regress
A
Yes
- The destruction of land and the tribe leads to destruction of cultural rights
- The 1884 acts including the prohibition of the sun dance bans NA culture
- The Dawes Act 1887 leads to the breaking up of the tribe so they cannot practice their traditional lifestyle
- The termination policy leads to the destruction of 100 smaller reservations, leading to the dissipation of their culture and tribe
But
- Challenge with other factors
7
Q
Native American Participation political progress
A
Yes
- Occupation of Alcatraz 1969, 10,000 visiting over 2 years, Mt Rushmore 1971 and Wounded Knee 1973 pressured to lead to the Indian self Determination Act of 1975
- Also include the Trail of Broken Treaties 1972 with 1,000 protesters and $700,000 of damage
But
- Activism only yielded progress in this era
8
Q
Native American Participation land progress
A
Yes
- Occupations and the Trail of Broken Treaties 1972 brought on cases such as Oneida v Oneida and Madison Counties 1974
But
- Activism only yielded progress in this era
9
Q
Native American Participation cultural progress
A
Yes
- Ultimately the only reason why NA culture was kept alive despite the aggressive americanisation policies throughout the period is the activism of NA on he reservations
But
However through the period NA choosing to live a traditional life decreased, 2/3 of those still identifying as NA being urbanised by 1992 and many more who have married into mixed race families of completely americanised
10
Q
Impact of war cultural regress
A
Yes
- 75,000 moved to cities during WWII
- The war drove americanisation, in mixed regiments they became part of the melting pot
But
- Counter with other factor
11
Q
Impact of war cultural progress
A
Yes
- One of the few time the US championed NA culture
- The Choctaw coders of WWI were instrumental as the language was effectively a code to the germans
- In both world wars the NA image of the warrior was greatly encouraged as the excelled in hand to hand combat and special forces type work
But
- There is no continuity to these developments, once the war is over things go back to the status quo
12
Q
Supreme court political progress
A
Yes
- 1981- Seminole Tribe vs Butterworth court ruled that the Seminole had the right to run gambling enterprises even though it was banned by state laws
But
- NA were no typically politically active in the legal system cases very rarely were put to the supreme court
13
Q
Supreme court land progress
A
Yes
- 1974 - Oneida v Oneida and Madison Counties, New York the sc opens the floodgate to land claims by ruling that NA could sue for the return of their land
But
- NA were no typically politically active in the legal system cases very rarely were put to the supreme court
14
Q
Supreme Court political regress/ hinderance
A
Yes
- 1903- Lone Wolf vs Hitchcock ruled that the government had the power to revoke any treaty made with the Indians, it labelled them not as citizens of the US but wards of the Nation, ‘an ignorant and dependent race’
1884- Elk vs Wilkins rules that Indians could not become citizens even if they renounce their tribal allegiances
But
- The supreme court was typically not engaged with NA issues, these rulings are few
15
Q
White settlers land regress/ hinderance
A
Yes
- White settlers took advantage of NA inability at farming and lack of understanding of land rights to claim their land at low rates and to by failing farms.
- Ultimately the readiness of demand is the issue
- For example the fact that 2/3 of NA was eroded by white settlers can be traced back to the demand of the white settlers
But
- The federal governments attitude ultimately allowed this level of exploitation
- For example the Oklahoma land rush of 1889 was facilitated by the federal governments removal of NA, allowing the white settlers to make take the land
- This included vast swathes of Cherokee land freed up by the Dawes Act which the federal government must take responsibility for
