SW 5235: American Indians and Social Policy

HISTORICAL PERIODS

PRE-COLONIAL

(PRIOR TO 1494)

*DIVERSE TRIBAL GROUPS

*OVER 500 LANGUAGES

*VARIED ECONOMIES

*10-75 MILLION INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

COLONIAL PERIOD

(1494-1776)

*VARIED CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES FROM COLONIALISTS=CONFUSION

*DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY

*FORMAL TREATIES

*AUTHORIZED CHILD

KIDNAPPING FOR PURPOSES OF ACCULTURATION

THREE DISTINCT FORMS OF EXPLOITATION:

EARLY U.S.-INDIAN RELATIONS (1776-1830)

*U.S. GOVERNMENT “FRIENDLY” RELATIONS POLICY

*FIRST TREATY BETWEEN U.S. AND DELAWARE PEOPLE IN 1778

*1789 CONGRESS ESTABLISHED “OFFICIAL” FEDERAL POLICY BY ASSIGNING ITSELF AUTHORITY TO INVOLVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN “INDIAN AFFAIRS” =LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGH TREATY PROCESS

*LOUISIANA PURCHASE=CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND POLICY

*BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS ESTABLISHED 1824 UNDER DEPARTMENT OF WAR

REMOVAL ERA (1817-1850)

*INCREASE IN WHITE SETTLERS= DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL LANDS

*1830 INDIAN REMOVAL ACT: THOUSANDS OF INDIAN PEOPLE FORCED OFF TRIBAL LAND

*EXCHANGE OF LANDS POLICY

*“ASSIMILATIONIST MOVEMENT”

ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVILIZATION FUND IN 1819 (ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS FROM CONGRESS)

MID-CENTURY: RESERVATIONS AND WARS (1850-1880)

*INCREASE IN FORMAL RESERVATIONS

*1867 REPORT TO CONGRESS STATED THE “NEED” TO SEPARATE INDIAN CHILDREN FROM FAMILIES

*1879 CARLISLE INDIAN TRAINING SCHOOL ESTABLISHED

*1880 WRITTEN POLICY ILLEGAL FOR NATIVE LANGUAGES TO BE USED IN FEDERAL BOARDING SCHOOLS

*1884 “PLACING OUT” OF INDIAN CHILDREN TO LEARN “VALUES OF WORK AND THE BENEFITS OF CIVILIZATION”

ASSIMILATION AND ALLOTMENT (1890-1930)

*1890 WOUNDED KNEE

*WIDESPREAD DISEASE

*GENOCIDE OF WHOLE NATIONS (ALL MEMBERS DIED)

*1887 GENERAL ALLOTMENT ACT (DAWES ACT) “CIVILIZED” INDIANS RECEIVED TITLE TO LAND

*1890 MERIAN REPORT

*1910 BONUSES GIVEN TO “KID SNATCHERS”

*1910 INDIAN LAWYERS BAND

**1924 INDIAN “GRANTED” CITIZENSHIP IN U.S.

INDIAN REORGANIZATION ACT (1930-1945)

*SHIFT IN FEDERAL POLICY ACKNOWLEDGED RIGHTS OF “TRIBE”

*1934 INDIAN REORGANIZATION ACT: ENDED ALLOTMENT ERA

-RESTORATION OF INDIAN LAND     

-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

-JOHNSON-O’MALLEY ACT(BROUGHT STATE GOV’T INTO PROVIDING SERVICES TO INDIANS)

TERMINATION PERIOD (1945-1965)

*1943 STUDY RESULTED IN 1949 HOOVER COMMISSION “FULL AND COMPLETE INTEGRATION”

-TERMINATION OF FEDERAL PROTECTION-SHIFT TO STATE

*1953 PL-280

*1956 RELOCATION TO URBAN AREAS

*MULTIPLE ADOPTIONS OF INDIAN CHILDREN

*LOSS OF 2.5 MILLION ACRES

*OVER 100 TRIBES LOST LEGAL STATUS

SELF DETERMINATION (1965-1980)

*POLICY CHANGE UNDER L.B. JOHNSON

*1968 INDIAN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

*1968 AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT (AIM) FORMED IN MPLS.

*1970 NIXON SUPPORTS SELF DETERMINATION

*INDIAN SELF DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT (638 CONTRACTS)

*1976 STUDY RE: OUT OF HOME CARE FOR INDIAN CHILDREN=

*1978 INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT

SELF GOVERNANCE (1980-CURRENT)

*REAGAN SLIPPAGE

*TRIBAL POLITICAL FORCES JOIN=MORE TRIBAL CONTROL

*1990 NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT

*RISE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY GAMING

*SUCCESSFUL COURT CASES RE: FISHING AND TREATY RIGHTS

SPECIAL STATUS

*DUAL CITIZENSHIP

*TRIBES ARE GOVERNMENTS WITH SPECIAL POLITICAL TRUST RELATIONSHIPS WITH FEDERAL GOV’T

*TRIBES RETAIN MOST POWERS OF GOV’TS

*STATES DO NOT HAVE INHERENT POWER (JURISDICTION) ON RESERVATIONS

*CONGRESS DEALS WITH LEGAL INTERACTIONS WITH TRIBES

Priscilla Day, MSW, Ed.D. Copyright, 2005.