Urban Native Americans(1945-1969) Flashcards
(21 cards)
What happened between 1930 and 1960?
-The number of Urban Indians in cities such as NY and Chicago increased
Did the NA contributions in the world war have any impact on their rights?
-No it did not, it had very little impact in enhancing the recognition of their rights or increasement in opportunities that were available to them
What happened to funding that had been agreed during the new deal?
-Had been redirected to the war efforts
What happened to those who learnt new skills due to their time in military service and what did returning soldiers do?
-They found themselves completely useless in reservations
-Returning soldiers increased competition for jobs
What did the BIA do and when?
-In 1948 the BIA attempted to release some of the inevitable suffering of the NA by setting up job placement centres in major cities in the west
What did changes in government policies do?
Increased the pressure on them to become urbanised
What is an example of a government change?
-The Indian Claims Commission set up in 1946 by Congress
-In response to pressure from the NCAI and partly because of the recognition of their efforts in the War
-The ICC meant that NA could regain their lands that was given to them in the 19th century
- The commission awarded over $800 million to NA tribes and some tribes used these funds to invest in community development and education
-However when settlements were made it was largely in the form of financial compensation rather than land and many tribes believed tribes not money was the foundation of survival and sovereignty
- And it was short lived as it was disbanded in 1978
Give an example of a group that rejected a government policy
- The Sioux Indians who attempted to claim the black hills of Dakota but were offered financial compensation instead, however they refused this
What is controversial about government policies that are supposed to help NA?
- It could just be another way of the federal government trying to assimilate the NA
What was termination?
-In 1953 the process of termination began, where more aggressive procedures were enforced to complete assimilation
What did termination do?
- It made sure that Indians were no longer the responsibility of the federal government
- Made sure that plans were set to end the federal control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
- To ensure that NA were subject to the same laws and give them the same rights of American citizens
- Ended the recognition of NA tribes and any treaty rights that they still retained
What was the Voluntary Relocation Program ?
- 1956
- It was established to provide support for the Indians, but it actually was to lure them away from reservations,
- It gave them financial support for relocation, help in securing jobs and living expenses until they found work and houses
- It was attractive to young NA’s as they were easily tempted by the attractions of city life
- It was followed by Indian Vocational Training Act in 1956 which intended to give Indians work related training
What did termination do the the relations between the federal government and NA?
-Damaged the trust between the NA and FG as it created a sense of betrayal and marginalisation amongst the NA
What were the negative effects of termination and what did Johnson do as a reponse?
- by 1968 NA had the highest rates of illiteracy, of disease and unemployment in the US
-Lyndon B Johnson wrote a message to congress in 1968 called the forgotten Americans
-He created a programme to promote Indian self-help and respect by proposing a national council to administer a programme of education for children of all ages funded by FG.
What happened by 1960?
- Around 60,000 NA had left reservations to go to cities near their reservations.
- Around 25% of NA were classified as poor and a significant number were forced to live in substandard houses that did not support their traditional extended family, as a result elderly members were forced to return to the remains of the reservations
-Life expectancy of NA was 20 years (44)below the national average (64)
Did forcing NA into Urban areas help with assimilation?
-No it had the opposite effect, because they were put in a hostile environment and the speed and environment of city life was alien to them.
-Language was still a barrier
-40-70% of NA were alienated from Urban life and returned to reservation life
What inspired young NA’s assertiveness for more rights?
-The African American protest movements for civil rights
What did the NA do in an attempt to gain more rights?
-in 1964, hundreds of NA gathered in Washington DC for recognition in President Johnson’s War on Poverty
What was the red power movement and what did they do?
- Was a social movement act led by NA youths in the US in 1960s and 1970s that advocated for NA rights
- Made up of organisations such as the American Indian Movement (AIM) and National Indian Youth Council
- Inspired by Black power movement
- often engaged in high profile activities to attract media coverage
- However the movement lacked a leader so different groups had different goals to each other and it led to confusion and internal disagreement and thus reduced its effectiveness
- And the Media portrayed the Red power as militant and dangerous and this undermined public sympathy and led to backlash
What kind of high profile activities did the Red power engage in?
- In 1969, Vine Deloria Junior (who was born into a sioux family and was raised up in a reservation in south Dakota one of the poorest areas of the US) Published the book Custer died for your sins
- And Dee Brown (who had many NA friends) published Bury my heart at Wounded Knee in 1970
- These books raised awareness of millions about the history of NA’s
- Young NA’s patrolled streets wearing red berets and jackets monitoring police activities this as a result decreased NA arrests and imprisonment
- And during 1960s, young NA’s pursued the return of Native sovereignty which was a term used by NA to describe the power their tribes had when they could live according to their tribal laws and religion
Describe the events of Alcatraz 1969
- in 1969 14 men and women from all tribes occupied the former prison island of Alcatraz
- Led by Richard Oakes and the goal was to re establish their sovereignty
- issued a proclamation that said they would purchase Alcatraz for 24 dollars in glass beads and red cloth, this was ironic because this was the amount the US paid to the Indians for Manhattan 300 years ago
- This activism led to Nixon ending the termination policy in 1974
- Hold outs lasted until 1971 when the federal agents removed them with force
- Was significant because it highlighted FG failure to honour its obligations to NA
- and drew attention for the whole nation due to media coverage
- However it ended without achieving its main goal which was to return land to its Native ownership
