2. The way of life on reservations (Native American Civil Rights)
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 06-06-17 10:15
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- 2. The way of life on reservations (Native American Civil Rights)
- Far from easy
- NAs unable to cultivate much of land because it was often unsuitable for farming
- Meant they depended on food supplies from gov
- Often failed to appear, many starved
- Humiliating for them to be dependent on gov aid
- Position became much worse in 1880s when drought hit their crops and disease killed many of cattle they now kept
- View made clear by comment from Gen. George Cook (led Little Bighorn campaign)
- 'In regard to the Bannocks, I was up there last spring and found them in desperate condition. I telegraphed and the agent for supplies, but word came no appropriation had been made. They heave never been half supplied.
- The buffalo is all gone, and an Indian can't catch enough jack rabbits to subsist himself and his family, and then, there aren't enough jack rabbits to catch. What are they to do?
- Starvation is staring them in the face, and if they wait much longer, they will not be able to fight.
- All the tribes tell the same story. They are surrounded on all sides, the game is destroyed or driven away; they are left to starve, and there remains but one thing for them to do - fight while they can'.
- Starvation is staring them in the face, and if they wait much longer, they will not be able to fight.
- The buffalo is all gone, and an Indian can't catch enough jack rabbits to subsist himself and his family, and then, there aren't enough jack rabbits to catch. What are they to do?
- 'In regard to the Bannocks, I was up there last spring and found them in desperate condition. I telegraphed and the agent for supplies, but word came no appropriation had been made. They heave never been half supplied.
- Other factors NAs died of
- Highly infectious diseases such as measles
- They had been moved from their native lands or could not adjust to the new way of life
- Availability of alcohol - whiskey (NAs not accustomed to it)
- Addiction became widespread owing to psychological impact of having families broken apart
- Consequences
- By 1900, only 100,000 remained of original 240,000 NAs inhabiting Plains in 1860 remained
- NAs lost freedom
- Denied Civil Rights as they were treated as 'wards of the state' and were not taxpayers
- Exceptions to trend
- Fortunes of Navajo tribe
- Adapted to new farming practices and built up large flocks of sheep and goats
- Increased size of their reservation and witnessed considerable growth in their own numbers, rising from 8000 in 1868 to some 22,000 by turn of century
- Fortunes of Navajo tribe
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