NATIVE AMERICANS
ALEXA CALLAWAY
1492-1600 BEGINNING OF
CONQUEST
Feelings of superiority:
"they could easily be commanded and made to work, to sow and to do
whatever might be needed, to build towns and be taught to wear clothes and
adopt our ways."-Christopher Columbus (1492)
Europeans began claiming land in both South and North America. They practiced rape and
kidnapping of Native Americans.
Encomienda system- Spanish use of Natives as slave laborers (ended because of pressure
from Spanish religious men)
Massacres
Europeans influenced by religion
Encomienda Sytem
1600'S
"Their enterprise failed, for it pleased God to effect these Indians
with such a deadly sickness, that out of every 1000, over 950 of
them had died, and many of them lay rotting above the
ground for lack of burial."- Settler in the 1600's
Small Pox epidemic
1609- French/Iroquois conflicts began
1675-1676- King Philips War and Bacon's Rebellion
1700'S
Proclamation of 1763- King George III stops settlers from moving west of
the Appalachians in hopes of easing tensions with the natives
Proclamation Line drawn by British to protect Indians
1758- First Native American reservation in North America was
established by the New Jersey Colonial Assembly
Paxton Boys- frontier thugs who murdered friendly natives
1775- Rebellion in San Diego against missionaries forcing worship and
field labor
Smallpox= huge problem during this time, wiping out the majority of
native populations
1780-1825 FORMATIVE PERIOD
Attempting to establish a healthy relationship with the natives.
1789- congress given power to regulate Native commerce with foreign countries (wanted a
friendship based on trade)
1795-Treaty of Greenville- Indians promised a permanent boundary from Americans after a
land war (multi-tribal) was ended.
After the Election of 1800, Jefferson's approach to Native Americans was that if they were
farmers, they wouldn't need their forestland and would allow for more westward
expansion. This began the forced signing of treaties that continued for decades.
1804- Trading posts established in the west (very important culturally) The United States
hoped the Natives would become dependent on white goods and ease tensions.
1820-Over 20,000 Natives held in "slavery" in the California missions
1824-Monroe proposed that all Native Americans be moved west of the Mississippi River
1825-1870 REMOVAL AND
RESERVATION
1828-Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia: civilized tribe (the cherokee) sued claiming they were
independent from Georgia and could not be ruled by white settlers in the state, court
ruled in favor of the cherokees but Jackson didn't inforce it.
1830-Indian Removal Act (Andrew Jackson) Pushes Five Civilized Tribes West of Mississippi
1831-Beginning of the belief that Native people were "domestic dependent nations"
(upheld in Worcester vs. Virginia 1832- federal power not extended into indian land)
1839-Trail of Tears (Jackson) forced removal of Cherokees to other land, 4,000 dead in the
800 mile walk
1847-Westward Migration begins...1851-Fort Laramie Treaty gives Natives their territory
forever if the natives guarantee safe passage for Oregon Trail travelers
1853- Natives remaining in California forced onto military reservations, 150,000 lived in the
state prior to 1849; by 1870 less than 30,000 remain
1862- Congress passed the Homestead Act making western lands belonging to many Indian
Nations available to non-Indian American settlers. This marked the beginning of mass
migrations to Indian lands for non-Indian settlement.
Trail of Tears
1870-1927 ASSIMILATION
1879- A group of 84 Lakota children, arrived at the United States Indian Training
and Industrial School at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a boarding school to remove
young Indians from their native culture and refashion them as members of
mainstream American society. Over the next two decades, twenty-four more
schools reservations, along with 81 boarding schools and almost 150 day
schools on the Indians' own land.
1882-Indian Rights Association - This organization was created to protect the
interests and rights of Indians. The association was composed of white
reformers who wanted to help Indians abandon their cultural and spiritual
beliefs and assimilate into American society.
1883- U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an Indian is by birth "an alien and a
dependent."
1887- The Dawes Severalty Act gives the President power to reduce the
landholdings of the Indian nations across the country. The "surplus lands" on
the reservations were opened up to settlement.
Native American Boarding School
ASSIMILATION CON'T
1887- The Dawes Severalty Act gives the President power to reduce the landholdings of the
Indian nations across the country. The "surplus lands" on the reservations were opened up
to settlement.
1911-Society of American Indians—The Society—the first step in the direction of pan-Indian
unity - was established and managed exclusively by American Indians, most of whom
were well-known in non-Indian society and well-educated. Although members favored
assimilation, they also lobbied for many reform issues, especially improved health care on
reservations, citizenship, and a special court of claims for Indians.
1917- 17,000 Natives serve in WWI
1924- Natives not given full citizenship prior are granted citizenship
1928-1945 REORGANIZATION
NEW DEAL:
1934- The Indian New Deal - an attempt to promote the revitalization of Indian
cultural and spiritual traditions.
Wheeler-Howard Act: restored unsold lands to tribal ownership
Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) -centerpiece of the Indian New Deal,
encouraged Indians to "recover" their cultural heritage and sought to
promote tribal self-government by encouraging tribes to adopt constitutions
and form federally-chartered corporations.
*Not favored by most natives, made by non-natives
1942- 25,000 Indians served in the U.S. armed forces, including 800 women. The
Oneidas, Chippewas, and Comanches blocked Japanese decoding in their
tribal languages. Navajo Code Talkers were instrumental in the landing at
Guadalcanal.
Navajo Code Talkers
during WWII
1946-1956 "TERMINATION"
1946-Indian Claims Commission Act - Tribes were given five years to file
a claim then bring suit for settlement. The Commission would then
review the case and assess the amount of compensation. It settled
285 cases and paid more than $800 million in settlements.
1953- Termination - The trust relationship with many Indian tribes was
terminated. Terminated tribes were then subject to state laws and
their lands were sold to non-Indians. Congress terminated more than
100 tribes.
Relocation - new policy to persuade large numbers of Indians to
relocate into urban areas to help with unemployment. Eventually
failed after a pretty nice start.
1961-PRESENT
SELF DETERMINATION
1965-1976- 43,000 American Indians participated in the Vietnam War
Native Civil Rights Movement:
1968- Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA) - It gave most protections of the Bill of Rights
and the Fourteenth Amendment to tribal members in dealings with their tribal
governments.
Direct and militant movement to gain Civil Rights
1969- "Indians of All Tribes" occupation of Alcatraz - A group of young Indians
seized the abandoned Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco harbor. "Alcatraz
was suitable as an Indian Reservation and should be converted into an Indian
educational and cultural center." Occupied for two years.
1975-Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act -obligation of the
U.S. to provide for participation by American Indians in the government and
communities.
Occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota in protest of failure to fulfill treaties.
SELF-DETERMINATION CON'T
1978-US v. Wheeler Supreme Court Decision - "The sovereignty that the
Indian tribes retain is of a unique and limited character." In short,
Indian nations were sovereign, but but it was limited to the federal
government.
1979-The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gaming -first tribe to enter into
the bingo gaming industry. This encouraged other tribes to begin
gaming enterprises on reservations to aid economic self-sufficiency.
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) - This Congressional Act affirmed
the right of tribes to conduct gaming on Indian lands (ex. casinos)
Present- Reservations are home to alcoholism and poverty