1. NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY

2. 1800s ◦Many issues during this time period: ◦Indian Removal Act ◦Trail of Tears ◦Long Walk of the Navajo ◦Dawes Act ◦Wounded Knee Massacre

3. Indian Removal Act ◦Andrew Jackson headed ◦Coerced Native Americans to abandon their lands ◦Alleged that the government could fairly purchase Indian land ◦Government did not always uphold this sentiment ◦Many tribes coerced into leaving their land under penalty of invasion

4. Trail of Tears ◦Indians moved from their land in Georgia and other southern states to Oklahoma ◦Creeks ◦Cherokees ◦Forced to walk across the land— often times shackled ◦Epidemics spread during this process: ◦Starvation ◦Typhus ◦Whooping cough ◦Dysentery ◦Cholera ◦Many died (Estimates range from 8,500 to 20,000)

5. Long Walk of the Navajo ◦1860s ◦Tribes forced to leave their lands ◦Navajo ◦Mescalero Apache ◦Moved to a reservation in New Mexico ◦Bosque Redondo ◦Thousands died (over 2,300)

6. Dawes Act ◦1887 ◦Native Americans offered 160 acres of land in the West to farm for profit ◦Not allowed to sell the land for 25 years ◦Farming in the West takes expertise that Native Americans did not have ◦Government hoped this would satisfy natives ◦Looked at as a way to “civilize” them

7. Americanizing the Natives ◦Christianity ◦Missionaries tried to convert Native Americans ◦School ◦All children required to attend school ◦Clothing ◦Not permitted to wear traditional clothing to school ◦Language ◦Native American Languages disregarded ◦Forced to learn English ◦Names ◦Given “American” names

8. Reservations Today ◦Faced with problems: ◦Alcoholism ◦Poverty ◦Poor academics ◦Dropout rates HIGH ◦Gambling ◦Distance from jobs

9. Resources ◦Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tears: http://www.history.com/topics/trail-of-tears#a1 http://www.history.com/topics/trail-of-tears#a1 ◦Long Walk of the Navajo: http://www.npr.org/2005/06/15/4703136/the-navajo-nation-s-own- trail-of-tears http://www.npr.org/2005/06/15/4703136/the-navajo-nation-s-own- trail-of-tears ◦Dawes Act/Americanizing: http://www.ushistory.org/us/40d.asphttp://www.ushistory.org/us/40d.asp ◦Reservation Info: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoppisch/2011/12/13/why-are- indian-reservations-so-poor-a-look-at-the-bottom-1/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoppisch/2011/12/13/why-are- indian-reservations-so-poor-a-look-at-the-bottom-1/