American Indian Federal Policy

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American Indian Federal Policy

• An Introduction

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American Indian Government Policies

• Over the years, the United States government has
  had different ways of dealing with American
  Indians.
• The government has established official
  policies (laws, rules) to carry out what it
  thinks is best for Indian people tribes.

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• There are eight (8) policies we will begin an
  in-dept study of.
• They are as follows

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1. Civilization

• (Federalist period Washington Jefferson)
• Make the Indian white, civilized, and Christian
• Create missions (church), make treaties, and
  change the culture of the Native American
• Make treaties as a way to gain land

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2. Removal

• (1830s-1860s Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal Act
  of 1830)
• Move Indians east of the Mississippi River to
  Indian Territory (current day Oklahoma)
• This will make room for white settlement in the
  east (Manifest Destiny)
• Included the Trail of Tears, which was the
  Cherokee removal

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3. Reservations

• (1860s-1890s)
• Put Indians on a plot of communal land (land held
  in common), owned by the government, to keep the
  Indians contained
• Also, send Indian children to boarding schools to
  teach them a trade
• Resentment from this policy led to the Indian Wars

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4. Allotment

• (1887-1928 Dawes Severalty Act)
• While on reservations, conserve land for white
  settlement by measuring off individual plots of
  land for individual families
• Indian men were forced to farm for their
  individual family
• This stripped them of their tribal way of life

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5. New Deal Indian

• (1930s-1940s Indian Reorganization Act)
• Restore tribal authority to tribes by reversing
  the allotment
• Tribes establish tribal governments and are
  encouraged to manage their affairs
• Lost momentum due to WWII

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6. Relocation

• (1920s-1950s)
• Offer job training programs and jobs in large
  cities to get Indian off of reservation and away
  from tribal communities
• The modern day Pow Wows were created during this
  period

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7. Termination

• (1950s-1970s)
• The government cut off all relations and
  obligations with Indian tribes
• As a result of this, Native Americans fought to
  regain their rights during the Civil Rights
  movement

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8. Self-Determination

• (1974-Present)
• The government allows tribes the freedom and
  authority to run their nations the way they
  please
• This policy recognizes the sovereignty of tribes