Foundations of Social Studies
GOVERNMENT
NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS
History
When Europeans began settling North America they encountered Native Americans who already
lived there. Sometimes the encounters were friendly and the two groups lived side-by-side.
Sometimes there was fighting, especially if European settlements affected the hunting in lands
where Native Americans lived or hunted. Treaties were often signed between the two groups to
solve their problems. Usually, the Native Americans gave up rights to the land and moved into new
territories. Sometimes, however, treaties were not successful or were rejected and wars between
settlers and natives took place.
In order to solve the problem of each state’s dealing in different ways with the various Indian tribes,
the federal government assumed responsibility for Native Americans. The first method used to
solve the problem of white and Indian people competing for lands was known as “Indian Removal.”
Indian removal policies negotiated with tribes to work out agreements for the Native Americans to
move farther and farther away from the areas where white people wanted to settle. As open and
unsettled lands across North America began to become scarce, the government moved toward a
policy of assigning specific, smaller territories to the tribes. These Native American lands are called
reservations today.
Indian Territory
A large area of land in the central area of the Great Plains was set aside for Indians who were
“removed” from forested areas in the Eastern United States. This area came to be known as the
Indian Territory which was basically the land which today is the state of Oklahoma. Many different
tribes were assigned small portions of this large piece of land. This was supposed to be their
permanent home, but changes in the laws which governed the lands there allowed. The Native
Americans who lived there had the right to sell the land to whites, if they wanted to. Such a large
number of white people purchased lands in the Indian Territory that it was eventually reorganized
as the Oklahoma Territory and then finally received statehood. The Indian Territory was gone and
the period of Indian removal came to an end.
Definitions
The method for dealing with Native Americans that followed the Removal Policy can be called the
“Reservation System.” An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native
American tribe. In general, the trade-off for Indians was that although they lost most of their
traditional lands to white settlers the US government allowed them to run their assigned
reservations with a good deal of independence. Although they do not have full power over the land
they do have limited governmental rule.
Only tribes that are recognized by the federal government may have a reservation. This is because
the reservations are created by treaties and treaties are made only with recognized tribes. Although
there are over 550 recognized tribes in the United States today, there are only about 310
reservations. Some tribes have more than one reservation, some share reservations, and some
tribes do not have reservations.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs
One very old part of the US government, established in 1824, is the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
The mission of the BIA is to "… enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to
carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the [lands] of American Indians, Indian tribes, and
Alaska Natives."
Programs that are run or managed by the BIA include:
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an education system consisting of 183 schools and 28 tribal colleges
social services, natural resources management, economic development programs
law enforcement and administration of tribal courts
disaster relief, repair and maintenance of roads and bridges
operation of irrigation systems and provides electricity to rural parts of Arizona, where the
largest reservation in the United States is found
Reservations Today
Although many Native Americans choose to live on their reservation lands, many others choose to
live in America’s cities, towns, and rural areas. There they find jobs and economic opportunities
which may not be available on the reservations. To create economic opportunities, many Indian
Reservations have legalized gambling and built casinos and hotels. Nevertheless, it has been
estimated that some of the Indian Reservations are home to the America’s poorest citizens. Suicide
is much more common on reservations than outside of them. Alcoholism, illiteracy, and gangs are
also large problems faced by Native Americans who choose to live on the reservations.
On the other hand, reservations are an important part of cultural preservation and Native American
pride. On many reservations it is the only place where the traditional language is still spoken and
where traditional arts and crafts, dances, and religious ceremonies are still practiced. Schools on
reservations are using technologies such as computers and the internet to connect with tribal
members who live far away and preserve the culture that remains.