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Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty
Held at Ft. Larned, Kansas, the peace treaty was entered into by the U.S. government and the five tribes of the Plains-Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Apache, and Comanche. The series of three treaties stated the government would provide peace and protection as long as the Indians agreed to resettle in the western Indian Territory. In return, they would receive gifts in the form of food and supplies. The consequences of the treaty provided the opportunity of white settlements and railroad expansion. -
Battle at Little Big Horn
Also known as Custer's Last Stand and Battle of the Greasy Grass, it is the most significant Native American conquest as well as the worst U.S. Army defeat in the Plains Indian War. The warriors of the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne tribes led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull easily overpowered the troops of Lt. Colonel Custer near southern Montana's Little Bighorn River. The resulting backlash of the defeat caused the government to intensify their restraints and control of the Plains Indians. -
Indian Boarding Schools
"Kill the Indian, Save the Man" was the common sentiment for the Native American problem. Boarding schools such as Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, PA, under Capt. Pratt were erected in order to "Christiaize" the youth. They forced children from their homes and subjected them to strict rules in which they were severely punished for any behavior outside of the white culture. Zitkala-Sa, former teacher, critiqued the school saying Native American children deserved more than vocational training. -
The Dawes Act
Known as The General Allotment Act, it allowed the President to survey and divide up reservation land into smaller sections which would be given to individual Native Americans, not nations. It was the first step in the assimilation process in which Native Americans were to forego their traditions and identities to become "Americanized". The land was often desolate and required farming techniques the Indians were not accustomed to; thus, the land was frequently abandoned and available to buyers. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Sparked by the white man's dislike of the Ghost Dance amongst the Sioux, the residents of South Dakota called in the 7th Calvary of the U.S. Army to disband the ritual. When the army demanded the turnover of all Sioux weapons, a shot was fired and a massacre ensued. This blood bath would serve as the last face-off between the U.S. Army and Native Americans. -
The Great Oklahoma Land Rush
At exactly 12 noon, a cannon boomed and approximately 100,000 settlers raced to stake their claim to the once sacred, native land within the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma. This land rush, the largest to date, was the culmination of other land rushes in which to claim property and ultimately redefined the definition of property rights. However, many of the hopeful "boomers" were disappointed as their were limited plots of land and many "sooners" had already snuck in and staked their claim. -
Lone Wolf vs. Hitchcock
Kiowa headman Lone Wolf sued Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock stating that the Kiowa-Comanches were not being given due process for the division of their lands arguing that this was in violaion of the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1903. In a vote of 9-0, the Supreme Court ruled that the government had the right to alter prior agreements since the government had complete control and authority over the tribal nations. Native Americans were now considered wards of the nation. -
Choctaw Code Talkers
As part of the 36th infantry in the Meuse-Argonne campaign in France, Choctaw soldiers were first used in WWI to relay messages in the field using their native language and specially created code words. The Germans were unable to decode the language. This means of communication was essential in the attack on Forest Ferme. -
Native American Citizenship
Through the Indian Citizenship Act, Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States and hence was signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge. This act was deemed a continuation of the assimilation process of Native Americans since they successfully served in WWI alongside other military service men. However, they still did not benefit from full U.S. citizenship rights such as the right to vote because citizenship laws were conducted by the states. -
The Meriam Report
A survey conducted by Lewis Meriam and his colleagues, the report, also known as The Problem of Indian Administration, found that the U.S. government and its' polices had severely dehumanized and troubled Native Americans. By subjecting them to poverty, exploitation, and discrimination, their culture and society was ultimately destroyed.
