BUREAU of indian affairs
Native Americans were the first people living on the land that eventually became the colonies and then the United States. The settlement of Americans caused some issues with the native tribes and eventually the Native Americans were forced into living in territories separate from the United States. These territories were viewed as their own nations, abiding by their own laws, creating their own laws, and owning their own land. This causes confusion because the United States views Indian Tribes and Territories as their own nations, but also as wards of the state. [3] This required treaties to be passed by the United States Senate which would then give the United States an upper hand government wise. Native Americans were expected to abide by the laws of the United States but then would be treated unlawfully by the United States government and their lands taken from them. "The United States government created the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1836 to be in charge of the relocated Native Americans. Illustrating the government’s sentiment toward Native Americans, this bureau was initially placed under the Department of War, and one of its primary responsibilities was to prevent Indian military action against whites."[1]
The Bureau of Indian Affairs became focused on Indian concentration and relocation more so than any kind of war involvement.[1] Any kind of battle or war involving American Indians and American troops ended usually with the Native Americans being overwhelmed. However the BIA was meant to protect the Native Americans but the lands of the Native Americans were still up for grabs. Corruption in this system ended with resentment toward the United States from Native Americans, as they felt as if they were being taken advantage of Some of the corruption varied from members of the Bureau of Indian Affairs taking bribed to purposely move Native Americans out of a specific land so it can become available, thus betraying the people the Bureau was meant to protect. This program only added fuel to the fire of Native Americans and their resentment towards the white Americans. One of the policies that were employed to control the movement of Native Americans is a Concentration Policy, which was made in 1861 to restrict Native Americans into even smaller areas. [1]
Concentration policy is the forced movement of Native Americans from "ideal" lands to areas north/south of white settlements. Americans would take these lands under the authority that they were protecting the lands when in reality the purpose was to take the land from those natives. Native Americans were misled into giving away most of their land and moved into temporary living arrangements. This policy was not fair to the Native Americans as they were not given any opportunity to fight for their land and were forcibly removed. Although it has not been until recently that Native Americans were granted dual citizenship of being citizens of the United States and their tribe, they were still discriminated against and stolen from. [1]
The right's of the Sioux Native American tribe were violated when the United states army forced them to relocate to wounded knee. This is where the grey area of Indian territories and the United Stated government becomes an issue. Since the United States could pass laws and have the manpower to enforce them the Native Americans didn't have much of say on how things ended up happening. The United States used the army to enforce the policies that it employed for moving the Native Americans. [3] The right's of the Sioux tribe were violated prior to the massacre when they were practicing their "Ghost" dance. The "Ghost Dance" was feared by the white soldiers of the United States army as the tribe beginning to revolt which led to the massacre occurring. One of the first rights that was established when the United States was established was freedom of religion. So if the Sioux tribe wanted to practice their "Ghost Dance," in their territory that they were moved to, why was it looked down upon and feared? The Native Americans were not treated as though they were American, or even being observed as their own nation. They were still feeling the pressure of the United States government and its troops. The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last big clash between Native Americans and the United States Army. [2]
The battle of Wounded Knee to some of the survivors was seen as a prime example of why the Native Americans could not trust the United States. The brutality that was shown and the great loss on the Sioux tribe influenced reform on Native American policies with the government. Here is a quote from one of the survivors of the Wounded Knee massacre, Black Elk. " I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from the high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...."-Black Elk [2]
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[1] Aboukhadijeh, Feross. "Confrontations with Native Americans." Accessed February 25, 2014. http://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/confrontations-with-native-americans/.
[2] Momaday, Scott. "About the Wounded Knee." Accessed February 20, 2014. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/momaday/knee.htm.
[3] Massacre At Wounded Knee, 1890," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1998)./
The Bureau of Indian Affairs became focused on Indian concentration and relocation more so than any kind of war involvement.[1] Any kind of battle or war involving American Indians and American troops ended usually with the Native Americans being overwhelmed. However the BIA was meant to protect the Native Americans but the lands of the Native Americans were still up for grabs. Corruption in this system ended with resentment toward the United States from Native Americans, as they felt as if they were being taken advantage of Some of the corruption varied from members of the Bureau of Indian Affairs taking bribed to purposely move Native Americans out of a specific land so it can become available, thus betraying the people the Bureau was meant to protect. This program only added fuel to the fire of Native Americans and their resentment towards the white Americans. One of the policies that were employed to control the movement of Native Americans is a Concentration Policy, which was made in 1861 to restrict Native Americans into even smaller areas. [1]
Concentration policy is the forced movement of Native Americans from "ideal" lands to areas north/south of white settlements. Americans would take these lands under the authority that they were protecting the lands when in reality the purpose was to take the land from those natives. Native Americans were misled into giving away most of their land and moved into temporary living arrangements. This policy was not fair to the Native Americans as they were not given any opportunity to fight for their land and were forcibly removed. Although it has not been until recently that Native Americans were granted dual citizenship of being citizens of the United States and their tribe, they were still discriminated against and stolen from. [1]
The right's of the Sioux Native American tribe were violated when the United states army forced them to relocate to wounded knee. This is where the grey area of Indian territories and the United Stated government becomes an issue. Since the United States could pass laws and have the manpower to enforce them the Native Americans didn't have much of say on how things ended up happening. The United States used the army to enforce the policies that it employed for moving the Native Americans. [3] The right's of the Sioux tribe were violated prior to the massacre when they were practicing their "Ghost" dance. The "Ghost Dance" was feared by the white soldiers of the United States army as the tribe beginning to revolt which led to the massacre occurring. One of the first rights that was established when the United States was established was freedom of religion. So if the Sioux tribe wanted to practice their "Ghost Dance," in their territory that they were moved to, why was it looked down upon and feared? The Native Americans were not treated as though they were American, or even being observed as their own nation. They were still feeling the pressure of the United States government and its troops. The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last big clash between Native Americans and the United States Army. [2]
The battle of Wounded Knee to some of the survivors was seen as a prime example of why the Native Americans could not trust the United States. The brutality that was shown and the great loss on the Sioux tribe influenced reform on Native American policies with the government. Here is a quote from one of the survivors of the Wounded Knee massacre, Black Elk. " I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from the high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...."-Black Elk [2]
_____________________________________________________________________
[1] Aboukhadijeh, Feross. "Confrontations with Native Americans." Accessed February 25, 2014. http://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/confrontations-with-native-americans/.
[2] Momaday, Scott. "About the Wounded Knee." Accessed February 20, 2014. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/momaday/knee.htm.
[3] Massacre At Wounded Knee, 1890," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1998)./