Native America v. America A Tumultuous Relationship

I. Three categorizations: American view of American Indians As Neighbors As Landowners As citizens

II. As Neighbors: Encounter & Exchange The Good: Exchange of crops, animals, farming The Bad: Importation of disease and violence

Relationship with Colonizers Spanish were Conquistadores who created encomiendas French needed help with the fur trade English came to settle, at first were friendly

The English & American Indians As the English colonist moved west, wars broke out in the 1600s

The American Revolution ~ 13,000 American Indian warriors fought on the British side Americans resented tribal help to Brits

c. Noble Savages –Others saw them as “needing to be civilized” including people like Thomas Jefferson

d. Post-War Fighting –Indian raids on white settlements –Whites used raids as an excuse to ravage Indian villages in the late 1700 and early 1800s

e. Assimilation 1880s-1940s return to idea that Indians are civilizable –Offshoot of Progressive era “Kill the Indian, save the Man”

f. Indian Boarding Schools creation of Indian boarding schools –No language –No traditions –No families –Sent out to white families on breaks to work as servants

g. Conservation of Culture Indian New Deal Romanticization of American Indian culture –Many stereotypes still prevalent

h. American Indian Movement: 1970s Grew out of Civil Rights Movement of 1960s –reclamation of tribal land –Much more forceful than other movements 75 takeovers of federal buildings or land (including Alcatraz)

1973: Pine Ridge (Wounded Knee-site of 1890 massacre) Protest over treaty rights and stripmining National Guard surrounded area cutting off access daily gunfire between occupiers and troops—2 men killed –71 days in length gov’t arrested 1200 at end followed by controversial arrests and deaths of prominent Nat Am leaders

III. As Landowners Go West, Young Man! Westward movement of settlers creates tensions with Native American tribes

b. French and Indian War: Stuck in the Middle with You –As the English moved west toward the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the French became worried they would lose access to the fur trade –Both colonizers built forts in the mid-1700s –The American Indians were caught in the middle & most tribes sided with the French –War ends with treaty, followed by Proclamation of 1763

d. Land in the New Republic –In the late 1700s the Iroquois, Choctaws, Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaws all signed treaties with government ceding [giving up] land –Some tribes resisted –Tribes left with small independent nations

e. Indian Removal under President Jackson:

f. Black Hawk War ( ) – Sauk and Fox Indians in IL whites very vicious—attacked even when Black Hawk tried to surrender led to slaughter and removal

g. Trail of Tears: Cherokees –1,000 fled to North Carolina –Winter of 1838: rest began march to Indian Territory »about ¼ died

h. The Far West –Plains tribes concentrated into 2 territories: Oklahoma (Indian Territory) and the Dakotas –allowed government to take most desirable land and separate Indians physically and politically –management given to Bureau of Indian Affairs— completely corrupt

i. Destruction of Buffalo partly to feed all westward migrants partly to feed fashion partly to clear way for railroads partly for amusement 1875: virtually extinct (15 mil 1865)

j. Resistance & the End of Indian Wars Continual fighting from 1850s-1880s Gov’t would no longer negotiate with chiefs surrendered in 1886=official end of fighting betweens whites and Indians Was 1890 Wounded Knee massacre of Lakota Sioux Geronimo

As Citizens: The Constitution Addressed Native Americans: –excluded “native americans not taxed” from pop. count for representation –gave Congress power to negotiate treaties with tribes & trade with tribes –legal standing very unclear—big issue as time went on

In the Courts: 1830s –Chief Justice John Marshall made 3 major decisions in Supreme Court cases that helped to clarify political status of Native Americans 1.Only government could buy or take land from Native Americans-reservations are still entrusted to US gov’t 2.Federal Gov’t is the guardian of tribes-no need for separate courts 3.Indian reservations are not always subject to state law

The Dawes Act – 1887 gradual elimination of tribal ownership of land force assimilation to white model of society tribal land reduced from 155 mil acres to 48 mil acres by 1934

Citizenship Granted Inconsistent citizenship: –by marrying white men –through military service –by allotments 1924: Indian Citizenship Act

New Deal for Indians: : created Indian Emergency Conservation Program (IECP) –employed 85,000 Nat Am 1934: Indian Reorganization Act –ended Dawes Act –provided $ for tribes to buy new land –recognized tribal constitutions –federal grants to provide social services –prohibitions on language, religion and custom lifted

Modern Day Relations present 1950s: Termination Era Attempt to reduce government involvement Return to assimilation Tried to repay tribes for lands taken illegally 1970 to present: Self- Determination Native American tribes are semi-autonomous Independent governments federal gov’t in role of protector to allow for self- government