15. Victories in courts and its impact on Native American Civil Rights
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 07-06-17 10:00
View mindmap
- 15. Victories in courts and its impact on Native American Civil Rights
- Latter part of period did see change in attitude of both federal and State Supreme Courts
- Reflected gradual change in attitude taking place across US society
- Number of victories at both state and federal level but progress continued to be slow
- First major victory
- State level
- 1948
- 2 NAs brought case concerning voting rights before Arizona Supreme Court
- 2 NAs: Frank Harrison and Harry Austin
- Belonged to Mohawk-Apache tribe and lived on reservation in Arizona
- County recorder, Laveen, refused to allow them to register to vote
- Decision successfully challenged as result of National Congress of American Indians and American Civil Liberties Union
- Despite victory, other states in West still continued to restrict voting rights of NAs
- National Congress of American Indians
- Formed 1944 by group of educated NAs
- One of a number of pressure groups that would play important role role in extending rights of NAs
- First task to involve ordinary NAs in struggle to stop end of reservations and integrate NAs into ordinary society so they were no longer funded by the taxpayer
- First sign of NA peoples joining together and organising protest movement
- 1960s
- Period from 1960s witnessed greatest change in attitude of Supreme Court towards NAs
- Court faced more and more challenges, usually from Red Power Movement
- Red Power sought to restore 'native sovereignty'
- Native Sovereignty
- Power tribes had to live on their lands according to their laws, religion and customs
- These rights existed until settlers arrived and removed them
- Native Sovereignty
- Red Power sought to restore 'native sovereignty'
- Cases usually involved claims for restoration of lands or simply fishing rights which had been taken away when dams had been built or hydroelectric power plants had been constructed
- Progress and decisions made by Nixon during his term in office were upheld by Supreme Court in 1974
- Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
- Established 1970
- Purpose: to defend rights of NAs
- Trained legal specialists with interest in NA issues and was responsible for most of cases that went before SC
- Put pressure on Supreme Courts to protect NAs culture and way of life
- Number of issues raised:
- Reinstating tribes that had been terminated
- Restoring tribal sovereignty
- Restoring lost tribal lands
- Restoring hunting and fishing rights
- Having right to vote
- Having right to worship freely
- Performing proper burial of ancestral remains
- Combination of pressure from NARF and willingness of Supreme Court to uphold these rights that resulted in considerable progress for NAs
- Latter part of period did see change in attitude of both federal and State Supreme Courts
Similar History resources:
Teacher recommended
Comments
No comments have yet been made