Economic effects on Native Americans

Gilded Age

Buffalo hunting meant they were almost extinct by 1900, NAs dependant on government
Great Sioux War 1876 started from poor supplies by US government
1887 Dawes Act adversly effect women, who lost rights over land ownership
Lack of employment opportunities, only really as scouts for the army or in the Indian Agency

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By 1920s 80% reservation land had been lost
Government sponsered some familes to move away from reservations and work in factories
250,000 farmers tuaght how to produce food more effectively in WW1

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NAs complete lack of job opportunities during Depression, already economically depressed
Indian New Deal 1934 stopped sale of land, encouraged women's craft cooperatives to make economic gain (but not really feesable)
NAs only given limited control over economic affairs, and funds not enough to buy back reservation land
During WW2 75,000 moved to urban areas to work in the defence industry, but majority of factory workers driven back onto reservations due to prejudice
NA veterans forced back onto reservations and not given job opportunities of white veterans

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100,000 left reservation to the city due to Terminisation
1948 Bureau of Indian Affairs set up job placement centres in cities
1956 Indian Vocational Training Act aimed to improve employment prospects of NAs
Unemployment rate of 18%, unwelcomed in factories
Conference on Poverty persuaded Johnson that NAs should be included in Economic Opportunity Act 1964

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Unemployment at 70% in 1970s on reservations
NA income half the American average
Included in Fair Housing Policy of 1968
1980 Sioux v. US offered Sioux $17.5 million plus compensation for Black Hills, they refused but other tribes also gained land/ compensation
Given preference in employment opportunities in Bureau of Indian Affairs
1982 Semincle Tribe v. Butterworth ruled that tribes had a right to establish gambling enterprises on reservations

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