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Delaware Treaty of 1778
The Treaty of 1778 with the Delaware, otherwise known as the Treaty of Fort Pitt, was the first treaty between the United States and a Native American tribe. It is also the only treaty signed by the Continental Congress. This treaty was conducted at Fort Pitt and initiated by the United States, under the premise of the Americans seeking security, assistance, and trade from the Delaware. The Delaware sought to protect their new lands in the Ohio Territory and fortify their position in the region. -
Treaty of Hopewell
In 1785, the Treaty of Hopewell was signed in the largest state at the time, Georgia, which granted the Cherokees the protection of the United States and set boundaries to their land. The treaty consists of signatures from U.S. representatives Benjamin Hawkins, Andrew Pickens, and Joseph Martin and members of the Cherokee delegation which include several leaders of the Chickamauga/Lower Cherokee, two from the town of Chickamauga itself, and one from Lookout Mountain Town. -
Indian Civilization Act of 1819
The Indian Civilization Act of 1819 was motivated by James Monroe under the premise that if the United States didn't take control of the Indian tribes and "civilize" them, then they would face extinction. In 1819, Congress responded by approving $10,000 annually that was intended for educating Indian children under the Indian Civilization Act. This led to the establishment of 52 schools over the next decade that were managed by the federal government or Christian missions. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was enforced into law by Andrew Jackson and passed by Congress on May 28, 1830 for the purpose of settling in Cherokee Territory and the discovery of gold. The Indian Removal Act gave the federal government the notion that they had the right to force the relocation of any Native American that resided in the southeast region of the United States to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi. -
Cherokee v. Georgia
Cherokee v. Georgia was a case presented to the Supreme Court which posed the question if states had the right to impose laws on Native Americans and their territory. In the late 1820's, the Georgia legislature passed laws to force the Cherokee people from their homelands. The ruling of the Supreme Court concluded they didn't have jurisdiction over the case because the Cherokee Nation was a, "domestic dependent nation” instead of a “foreign state." -
Religious Crimes Code of 1883
The Religious Crimes Code of 1883, was passed by Congress depriving Native Americans from the First Amendment Right by banning all forms of traditional Native American religious practices. The reinforcement of this code, resulted in the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee, in which more than 300 Dakota were slaughtered. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act was signed into law on February 8, 1887 by President Grover Cleveland allowing the government to divide tribally owned reservations lands into small plots of land for individual Indians to encourage Indians to assimilate into white society and abandon their cultural and social traditions. This act resulted in the sale of over ninety-million acres that was formerly Native American owned tribal land to non-natives. -
Indian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act went into law on June 1934, it was intended to decrease federal control over American Indian affairs and increase Indian self-government and responsibility. The act limited the future allocation of tribal communal lands to individuals, provided for the restoration of surplus lands to the tribes instead of homesteaders, motivated written constitutions and charters which allowed Native Americans to govern their internal affairs. -
Indian Citizenship Act
The Indian Citizenship Act also known as the Snyder Act was proposed by Representative Homer P. Snyder of New York. It was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge, on June 2, 1934 granting citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. Although, Native Americans born in the U.S. were granted citizenship they were still subject under state law for the right to vote until 1957. Some states barred Native Americans from voting. -
Termination Acts
Termination meant the withdrawal of all federal aid, services, protection and the end of all reservations. It wasn't until 1954 that the Menominee Termination Act was passed by Congress ending ties between that tribe and the U.S. Federal Government. Shortly after, the Klamath Termination, and the Western Oregon Indian Termination Acts were passed. This left many of the tribes who were once economically dependent upon federal aid, poor, vulnerable, and practically without resources. -
Indian Relocation Act of 1956
The Indian Relocation Act of 1956 also known as Public Law 959 or the Adult Vocational Training Program was intended to assimilate Native Americans into American society by providing incentives to relocate from their reservations and native lands to urban areas. This was during a time when the federal government was cutting back on subsidies provided to Indians living on reservations and only 6% of Native Americans lived in urban areas. -
Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act
Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act — 1975 In 1975, Congress passed the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act which enabled the federal government to contract with tribal governments for federal services. This allowed Native American people to operate their own schools and implement their own languages, beliefs and philosophies into their curriculum. This act led to over seventy Indian schools managing their own operations. -
Indian Health Care Improvement Act
The Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976 modified the Social Security Act to authorize reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid for services provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives in Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal health care facilities. This act was made permanent by President Barack Obama, when he signed the bill on March 23, 2010 as a component of the Affordable Care Act.
