What is the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934?
The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act) was a piece of federal legislation passed in 1934 that was designed to offer greater self-determination to American Indians by allowing tribes to form their own governments, govern their own lands, and manage their own economic affairs. This act replaced the General Allotment Act of 1887 (also known as the Dawes Act), which had been enacted to break up and destroy tribal cultures and communal lands by forcing individual Indians to take up private land ownership and assimilate into white culture. The Indian Reorganization Act reversed the process of the General Allotment Act by recognizing tribal sovereignty and allowing tribes to form their own governments and control their own lands. This act also provided funds for education, health, and economic assistance, and created the National Indian Claims Commission for handling legal disputes over land and treaty rights. In California, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 is of particular significance. It allowed for the restoration of tribal lands that had been taken away by the General Allotment Act, and allowed for the creation of Reservation lands, where tribes could maintain their cultures and practice their traditional ways of life. The act also allowed for the establishment of tribal organizations, such as the California Indian Legal Services, which help protect the legal rights of California Native Americans.
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