1. The position of Native Americans (NAs) before WW1
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 06-06-17 09:22
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- The position of Native Americans (NAs) before WW1
- Federal gov's aim to assimilate NAs
- Policies to achieve aim of assimilation constant
- Aim meant government would destroy tribal bonds of NAs
- To be achieved in a number of ways:
- Education
- Conversion to Christianity
- Establishment of gov reservations
- Reservation policy prevented NAs from moving freely and pursuing what left of buffalo herds
- Allowed gov to destroy ways of life such as:
- Polygamy had to be absconded
- Braves could no longer demonstrate skills
- Herbal remedies were forbidden
- Tribal laws were abolished
- Communal living was ended
- The power of tribal leader ended
- NAs thus forced to become farmers who inhabited specified area of land
- Parents forced to send children to school
- Children forbidden from speaking own language
- Made to completely renounce traditional tribal beliefs
- Two off-reservations boarding schools set up
- Quality of education provided on reservations was poor
- Virginia and Pennsylvania
- Provided boys with vocational training
- Girls provided with skills for domestic service
- Education provided gave some NAs opportunity to find better jobs
- Some working in Indian agency offices
- Interpreters
- Scouts
- Army units
- Rights of NA to determine what happened to land agreed
- 1871
- Lost right to determine what happened to land
- Congress determined setting up reservations, relocating tribes and redrawing any reservation boundaries
- Approach continued and size of reservations reduced further after defeat of General Custer at Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876
- Polygamy
- Taking more than one wife
- Custom so all women were cared for by male which helped ensure survival of tribe
- Went against Xn beliefs and used as further evidence of need to 'Americanise' NAs
- Braves
- NA warriors
- Tribal chief
- Head or chief of tribe
- Presided over tribal courts and were therefore important in running tribe or 'nation' as large tribes were called
- Reservations
- Lands designated by US gov for NAs to occupy
- Part of treaties signed with NAs
- Process began in 1850s and speeded up in 1860s as main way of bringing about assimilation
- At first, boundaries of reservations were agreed by treaties between government and NAs
- Boundaries later imposed by Congress
- Battle of Little Bighorn
- General Custer
- US army officer and cavalry commander in Civil War and in Plains Wars against NAs
- Most famous for his defeat at Battle of Little Bighorn where he and battalion were killed
- Battle has gone down in history as 'Custer's Last Stand'
- Probably most famous battle in history of NA struggles
- Was result of General C. being sent to return number of Sioux and Cheyenne who had left their reservation and refused to return
- C. attacked them without waiting for full force to arrive
- Approx. 2000 men defeated and all killed
- General Custer
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