New Deal for Indians; Three Tribes Moves to Incorporate
Washington, D.C.
July 1, 1936
“I do believe that no one exceeds him in knowledge of Indian matters or his sympathy with the point of view of the Indians themselves.” Those are the words that Harold Ickes, the Secretary of the Interior, uses to describe the new Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the Collier appointment in 1933, he knew that Indian policy would change for the better because Collier had long been an energetic defender of Indian rights.
In his executive actions Collier has reversed policies that have existed for a half-century. He believes that the culture and ways of Native people should be preserved and cultivated, not attacked and abolished. Thus, he has reversed the land allotment system under which non-Indians have gained much Indian land. His hope is that Indian land will remain as Indian lands.
Amid great controversy and a flurry of church opposition, he has issued a directive, which states, “No interference with Indian religious life or ceremonial expression will hereafter be tolerated.” The old ways are deemed good ways. Collier has also insisted that New Deal work and relief programs be used to improve depressed conditions on the reservations. A special Indian Civilian Conservation Corps (ICCC) is in operation and is presently enrolling young men on North Dakota’s reservations. The ICCC will work to improve land management among Native peoples.
Collier considers his most significant achievement to be the recently passed Indian Reorganization Act which incorporates the principle of self-determination. If tribes so decide, they are now encouraged to establish their own constitutions and self-government.
In North Dakota only at Fort Berthold have the people voted to establish constitutional forms of government and to incorporate into the Three Affiliated Tribes. At Turtle Mountain and Fort Totten the people have decided to wait. On Standing Rock the decision not to reorganize is based on the fact that since 1914 the tribe had been operating under a constitutional form of government that was serving the people well.
By Dr. D. Jerome Tweton
Source
Originally published as The North Star Dakotan student newspaper, written by Dr. D. Jerome Tweton and supported by the North Dakota Humanities Council.
Grade Level
2-5, 7-12
Standards
Identify historic United States figures (e.g., George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Sacagawea) and link them with their contributions
Describe how community life has changed from past (i.e., pioneer and tribal) to the present
Identify examples of how different groups, societies, and cultures are similar and different (e.g., in beliefs, traditions, family relationships, celebrations, institutions, folklore)
Identify similarities and differences between past events and current events in North Dakota (e.g., in the lives of people from different cultures past and present)
Identify the contributions of prominent individuals (e.g., Teddy Roosevelt, La Verendrye, Rough Rider Award winners) to North Dakota
Explain the contributions of various ethnic groups (e.g., Native Americans, immigrants) to the history of North Dakota (e.g., food, traditions, languages, celebrations)
Describe similarities and differences between past events and current events in U.S. history (e.g., in the lives of people from different cultures past and present)
Explain the significance of scientists, inventors, and historical figures (e.g., Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce De Leon, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Rush, David Rittenhouse, Thomas Paine)
Explain why the United States government is necessary (e.g., government helps secure people’s lives, liberty, and property through law and military protection; groups can accomplish things collectively that individuals cannot)
Identify principles governing individual and group behavior (e.g., cooperation, collaboration, power, conflict) within social dynamics (e.g., familial, political, religious)
Explain how political leaders (e.g., Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler) dictated national policy (e.g., States’ rights, closure of National Bank, Indian Removal Act)
Explain the significance of key events (e.g., settlement and homesteading, statehood, reservations) and people (e.g., Roughrider Recipients) in North Dakota and tribal history
Analyze Federal policy and action regarding American Indians (e.g. Dawes Act, changes in federal and state Indian policies, civil rights movement; current issues surrounding gaming, housing, distribution of wealth, and healthcare, Indian Reorganization Act, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Civil Rights Act, Indian Child Welfare Act, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Citizenship, American Indian Movement)
Explain how political and economic forces have affected the sovereignty of tribal nations (e.g., constitutional provisions; Supreme Court cases; laws used in forming the basis of the federal-tribal relationship; political and economic forces affecting sovereignty of tribal nations)