What is the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934?
The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act) was a United States federal law that aimed to strengthen the protections for Native American tribes and their members. The law was passed by Congress in 1934 and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The act was designed to reverse the US government’s policies of assimilating Native Americans, and instead allowed them to retain their sovereignty and culture, including setting up local self-governance. The Act provided federal funds to assist with economic development projects such as farming and irrigation on reservations, as well as educational and health services. Tribes were also granted the right to form tribal governments and exercise jurisdiction over their own lands. The Indian Reorganization Act also granted Native American tribes the right to write and enact their own laws on their reservations. In South Carolina, the Indian Reorganization Act has had a significant impact on the rights of Native American tribes. The act has enabled the state’s federally recognized tribes — the Catawba Indian Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Pee Dee Indian Nation — to better protect their land and people, as well as their cultural identity. The tribes are now able to take steps to protect tribal members and prevent violations of tribal sovereignty, while at the same time providing better educational and economic opportunities for their members.
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