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1492
Contact
When Europeans came to the Americas they introduced diseases, which wiped out a large portion of the Native Americans. This started a battle for land, rights, and freedom still going this day. -
Period: 1492 to
Tribal Independence
The fight for tribal independence. While wars fought on, Native Americans who were forced off their land. Finally, began to get control over the minimal land they had left. -
Agreement between equals
The colonies agreed to be equals and allies since the Native Americans were at an advantage in the case of war. Once the Colonies had the weapons and men to overpower the Natives they began to take Native land. -
Relocation and boarding Schools
This had devastating effects lasting for over a century. The American government took children away from their families. They taught them Christian culture and that Native culture would send them to hell. Cutting off communication with their parents and old tribe, isolating the children from the culture they knew, and putting them in a new unaccepting culture. -
IRA (Indian Removal Act)
This act stripped five tribes from their land and forced them to move west of the Mississippi River. These tribes didn't know how to live off the unknown land. This resulted in the Seminole War and forced removal. -
No more treaties with tribes
When the government stopped signing treaties with tribes, it was the U.S. government not acknowledging tribes as sovereign nations anymore. The U.S. Government felt that they had control over tribes and over the years would abuse the power they had. -
Dawes Act (Allotment Act)
This act gave land to each head of the family in tribes. This was a new attempt for the government to try to assimilate Native people. By attempting to separate the tribes, making each family move to land and live the government's ideal American lifestyle. -
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Assimilation
During this period of time, the U.S. Government wanted the Native Americans to remove their culture and adopt the Christian, white European lifestyle. -
Lonewolf vs.Hitchcock
This case decided that Congress has plenary power over the Native Americans. The decision laid the groundwork for Congress to make decisions on tribal land and the Native Americans without any agreement. -
Congress passed act to make all First Nations peoples Americans
The Indian Citizenship Act made all Native Americans citizens of the United States. It was then up to states to decide whether Native Americans have the right to vote. Many states initially denied the right at the beginning. So many were paying taxes but denied the right to vote. -
Indian Reorganization Act
The act made sure Tribal land would stay their land and all unused land would now go to Indians. It suggested that each tribe write a constitution, which many did. -
Public Law 280
This law gave states jurisdiction over reservations. This gave jurisdiction for FBI, state police, county police, and tribe police all jurisdiction. Then it also added that a tribe cannot hold a non-native on trial, even if the crime was committed on tribal land. -
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Termination
Tribes began to rely on the U.S. government for food, and subsidies. While the government attempted to disband the tribal organization. -
Tribal Self-Determination
After this act was passed gave control to tribes over their land. The tribes got the right to self-govern, education, and reservation development. This was the first step to giving tribes sovereignty over their land. -
Bryant v. Itasca
A member of the Ojibwe tribe got taxed for his house on a Reservation, he sued saying the county has no right to tax tribal land. The supreme court ruled that the county has no right to tax. This led to Indian Gaming laws and gave tribes more freedom on their reservations. -
United States vs. Sioux Nation Indians
In 1877, the U.S. Government reclaimed land, they previously gave to the Indian Sioux Nation. The court in 2011 ruled the Sioux Nation was entitled to compensation of 17.1 Million dollars. This landmark case was important because it was a the U.S. government claiming they made a mistake and paid for the mistake.