How has the US government historically treated Native Americans?
The US government has a long history of mistreatment and oppression of Native Americans. The US government used numerous policies that were detrimental to Native Americans’ lives such as the forced relocation of Native Americans from their ancestral lands, the termination of tribal governments, and the passage of laws that stripped them of their legal rights. Many of these policies were implemented in order to acquire more land and resources for the US government. Native Americans were also subject to discrimination and racist policies such as the forced assimilation of Native American children into white-dominated schools. Native American tribes were also forced to sign treaties that resulted in the loss of land, resources, and other forms of material wealth. This included the Dawes Act of 1887 which resulted in the loss of millions of acres of land that had been held by Indian tribes. In later years, the US government has made some attempts to reverse the damage that it has done to Native American tribes through the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. These acts acknowledged the sovereignty of Native American tribes and gave them the opportunity to reclaim some of their land and resources. However, despite these efforts, the US government has yet to fully restore the rights and resources that were taken away from Native American tribes.
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