Position of Native Americans 1865-1992 Flashcards
1865-1886 Politically (Early) (3)
- Reservation Policy did not fully assimilate Native Americans as it had hoped (NOT FARMERS)
- Native Americans had no political significance in US culture - separate group to be conquered
- Autonomy continued after Red Cloud’s War 1866 –> Fort Laramie Treaty
1865-1886 Land/Economically (Early) (4)
- Policy of reservations only decreased land size
- 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn - Native Americans land use the same as before, same monoculture economy
- Native Americans did not use capitalism - no concept of money
- Land ownership non-existent, spiritual lands
1865-1886 Culturally (Early) (3)
- Increasing forced assimilation for Native Americans, e.g. Dawes Act undermined matriarchal society (160 acres male only)
- Attempts to de-tribalize and assimilate into ‘white America’, e.g. Reservations Policy banned polygamy.
- Assimilation was prevalent throughout the early period.
1886-1940 Politically (Mid) (3)
- Dawes Act was extended by Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
- Indian Reorganization Act 1934 brought back Tribal Council Power (Autonomy)
- Loss of autonomy from Dawes not brought back, Native Americans forced to assimilate to be heard by the US: NCAI 1944 were educated, assimilation in order to be heard.
1886-1940 Land/Economically (Mid) (4)
- Land lost after the Dawes Act was never reclaimed and only minor compensation
- NCAI Action –> Indian Claims Commission 1946 = Failed, little land returned
- Five Civilised Tribes 1905 Muskogee Convention FAILED –> Oklahoma established 1907.
- Native Americans still capitalist, no/little land returns.
1886-1940 Culturally (Mid) (3)
- Assimilation continued: Lone Wolf vs. Hitchcock 1903 ‘ignorant and dependent’
- Native American culture is still not respected, ‘wards of the nation’
- Media portrayed Native Americans as savages until more awareness in the late 1960s ‘Wild West shows’.
1940-1992 Politically (Late) (3)
- Still no autonomy for Native Americans, have to be assimilated
- NCAI pursued voting rights with lawsuits -> more into US political system
- Native Americans less than 1% of population, no political significance
1940-1992 Land/Economically (Late) (3)
- Native Americans are still the poorest ethnic group in 1992 - Their position did not improve economically after Dawes.
- No improvement in the land after Dawes - 2/3 NA in urban areas
- Reagan’s’ native capitalism’, the continuation of Dawes.
1940-1992 Culturally (Late) (5)
- Termination Policy 1953 - Continued Assimilation
- Nixon ends the Termination Policy in 1969
- American Indian Policy Review 1975 - 5/11 Commissioners NA’s
- Religious Freedom Act 1978
- After the 1970s, no more forced assimilation for Native Americans - respect for their culture!
Position of Native Americans by 1865 [CONTEXT] [3]
- Railways greatly disrupted buffalo herds, monoculture economy.
- Homestead Act 1862 encouraged manifest destiny - 160 acres of land to white American farmers
- Native Americans were nomadic, had their own language, culture & ceremonies.
What was the Reservation Policy (1850-1887)? [4]
- Prevented Native Americans moving freely, provided reservations to occupy
- Banned polygamy, ended powers of tribal chief, forbidding herbal remedies
- Sent children to off-reservation boarding schools, had to renounce traditional tribal beliefs.
However, reservations preserved some elements of tribal lifestyle, as they were still together in a community.
What was the Dawes Act 1887? [4]
- Divided reservations into 160 acre allotments, given to male NA’s
- Turned them into landowners and citizens.
- Undermined the belief land was communal, forced into farming -> led to debt.
By 1914 land given by treaties had been taken away - 1903 Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, revoke all NA treaties.
What was the Indian Citizenship Act 1924? [3]
- Extended the right to vote to NA’s, but most didn’t want citizenship.
- Attempted to simply increase the speed of assimilation
- Citizenship didn’t restore their sovereignity, with attacks on their culture e.g. the Dance Order further weakening their position.
What was the Meriam Report 1928? [2]
- Report concluding that NA schools were underfunded and understaffed
- Condemned the allotment policy & noted that NA’s were the most impoverished people in the country.
The New Deal for Native Americans [4]
Indian Reorganisation Act / Wheeler-Howard Act 1934:
- Gave rights to practice own religion/ceremonial dances
- Extention of political rights to women.
- Schools where children learnt about their own culture
- Funding was later used for WW2 effort instead.
What was the Termination Policy (1953-69)? [3]
- Introduced to speed up assimilation, encouraged to move to cities where there were jobs.
- Lost protection as ‘wards of the government’.
- Some 50% returned to reservations, those who stayed established ghettoes
What was the unemployment & life expectancy rate for Native Americans during Termination (53-69)? [2]
- Life expectancy was 44 years - 20 years below national average.
- Unemployment rate was 18%
Society & culture regeneration (1969-92) [3]
- NA’s began to negotiate contacts with the Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Gained recognition from gov. to live according to their tribal culture.
- Education & employment levels remined low & funding cuts (native capitalism) weakened position.
How much did the NA population increase from 1970-1990?
- 1970: 800,000
- 1990: 1.7 million
Examples of FG hinderance of NA civil rights [4]
- Manifest destiny conflicted w/ NA lifestyle.
- Dawes Act ignored their tribal way of life.
- Reservation Policy allowed for land takeover.
- Revenue cuts during WW2, Reagan’s Presidency, 1890s
Nixon’s Native American improvements [3]
- Indian Education Act 1972 - improved education provision
- Some NA tribes regained native sovereignty & self-determination
- Lost lands returned to Makah & Yakama tribes
Ford’s Native American improvements [1]
- Indian Self-Determination Act 1975:
Recognised NA’s right to self-determination & witnessed the abandoment of assimilation.
Carter’s Native American improvements [2]
- Religious Freedom Act 1978: Right to exercise their traditional religions.
- Indian Child Welfare Act 1978: Ended the practice of forcibly removing NA children from their families.
Supreme Court’s response to Red Power movement [3]
- Fisher v Montana 1976: recognized tribal courts
- Sioux v United States 1980: Sioux won compensation for lands but rejected it, arguing for land return.
- Charrier v Bell 1986: helped protect NA burial grounds, remains dug from them belong to them
___ v Montana 198_
Fisher v Montana 1986
___ v United States 1980
Sioux v United States 1980
Charrier v ___ 198_
Charrier v Bell 1986
Divisions between Native Americans [3]
- Plains Wars - when tribes fought against each other as well as the gov.
- The Society of American Indians founded in 1911 lacked mass support & funds
- NA’s spread out across the whole country, lacked an agreed aim, less than 1% pop.
NCAI (Second World War) [1]
National Congress of American Indians
- Placed pressure on gov. to improve their rights & the Indian Claims Commission was established
NIYC [2]
- Policy of termination -> formation of National Indian Youth Council in 1961
- Took on law cases to protect treaties & religious freedom
Red Power movement [3]
- Fish-in in Washington State
- Led by Richard Oakes sieged Alcatraz 1969-71, gaining worldwide media coverage.
- Published literature on their history & culture to raise awareness
AIM [3]
- Occupied Mount Rushmore 1971, sacred Sioux burial ground.
- Took over Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1972 (led to violence, evicted)
- Occupied Wounded Knee 1973, where Sioux were massacred in 1890 (led to violence 2 NA killed)
