How has the US government historically treated Native Americans?
The United States government has had a long and complicated relationship with Native Americans. Historically, the US government has broken treaties with Native American tribes, used military force to displace them from their ancestral homelands, and forcibly relocated them to reservations with limited resources. Native Americans were greatly impacted by the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly relocated thousands of tribes from their homes in the East to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The Act sought to make more land available for white settlement and for agricultural expansion. This Act resulted in the deaths of thousands of Native American people, as tribes were forced to walk hundreds of miles to unfamiliar territory. In the 19th century, the US government also sought to assimilate Native Americans into white culture through the policy of forced assimilation. This policy sought to eliminate Native Americans’ traditional languages, customs, and beliefs and replace them with those of white culture. As a result, many Native American children were forced to attend boarding schools that taught them to speak and write English, dress like whites, and adopt white religious practices. Overall, Native Americans have been treated unfairly by the US government. From forced relocation to the Indian Removal Act to forced assimilation, Native Americans have endured a long history of violation and abuse of their rights. Thus, it is the responsibility of the US government to rectify these injustices and create a better future for its Native American citizens.
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