Native American Transition to Freedom

Native American Transition to Freedom
American History Since 1865
Prof.
December

America was a very trying country in the mid 1800’s especially regarding the treatment of indigenous people such as the Native Americans. It is a known fact that much of America was inhabited by indigenous people, the Native American Indians, prior to the arrival of the “white man” or European settlers (Bowles, 2011). The native Indians that occupied America had freedom of the land and were isolated prior to the nineteenth century, by the end of the nineteenth century they began to lose land and freedoms because of the belief in manifest destiny, and later in the twentieth century began regaining freedoms once lost. Prior to the arrival or invasion of Europeans Native Americans had their own political, judicial, and economic systems, they had their own beliefs and furthermore free reign of the land. Even though each tribe was different from another and were “sovereign entities and although today we collectively term every one of them Indians or Native Americans, these native peoples had distinct tribes, with each representing its own nation and having its own culture and set of laws” (Ford, 2010, p. 1). The government at the time made little distinction between these differences. It was during this time that our country made dramatic changes and went through a transition that affected the Native Americans. This period was marked by the Civil War which ended in 1865. The country was going through a vast transformation with the influx of immigrants into the country and settlers that wanted to move west. At the same time the Indian wars were still occurring throughout the country and did not end until 1890 (Indian Wars & Treaties, 2010). At the end of the Civil War “many Americans proposed a philosophy known as manifest destiny” (Bowles, 2011, p. 25). To make way for new American settlers to move west Native Americans were forced to relocate from there tribal lands and relocate to Reservations that were determined by the government. In essence the Native Americans were uprooted from their own land and forced to relocate against there will, to accommodate settlers that sought out wealth and a start to a new life in the west. They would often make passage through unknown land and dangerous territory to make a home in an unsettled and often untamed region of the country. Native Americans in the American Civil War were comprised of numerous Native American tribes and nations. The Native Americans fought knowing that there was a chance that they may jeopardize their way of life, freedom, and ancestral lands if they ended up on the losing side of the War. “Approximately 20,000 Native Americans served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, participating in battles such as Pea Ridge, Second Manassas, Antietam, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and in Federal assaults on Petersburg” (Baird, 2009, p. 1). It is apparent that the American government at this time in the 19th century did not view the Native American tribes the same as the immigrants relating to freedom and isolation. “Before the late 19th century, religion was only indirectly the concern of American legal discourses relating to Indians despite the ubiquity of colonial takings that were justified with the claim that indigenous communities were heathen and without any form of religion” (Gooding, 1996, p. 160). It was this mentality type of mentality that made it socially acceptable to invade and change many aspects of Native American culture and life. This was one method that was deployed to isolate the Native American people from the European settlers. By the middle of the nineteenth century, much of the Native American population lived west of the Mississippi River. This was due to government relocation to Indian reservations because of the movement west by the settlers. Previously it was mentioned that the Native American people were viewed differently and the American government made no seperation between the various tribes or Nations. This brought fourth the “One Big Reservation Policy” (Bowles, 2011, p. 26). This allowed the relocations of various tribes from the northern and southern territories to be relocated to the same or similar areas. Even though many of the tribes and nations had different social systems and beliefs the government isolated them from the European settlers and forced them to live peacefully together in the Great Plains. In the mid to later part of the 19th century westward expansion continued by the settlers headed west and America nearly doubled the area that was occupied. This again caused the government to make a change to the accommodations made for the Native Americans to allow technology and western movement head to the pacific through the west. Unfortunately the One Big Reservation was in the way. Between 1830 and 1860 the United States nearly doubled the amount of territory under its control. This territorial expansion occurred at a time when a larger volume of immigrants wished began heading west to begin new lives and grasp new opportunities. This caused the government to move the Native Americans to the northwest. Moving the reservations to the northwest allowed Americans to settle previous occupied Native land and allowed the Wagon trains of settlers and railroads to continue the journey to the west. There was perhaps a time when the government allowed the Native Indians to be a self-governing group who had their own personal identity. It is apparent that the American government forced the Native people to learn Christianity and discontinue their personal beliefs, thus further separating the Native Americans from their ideals and beliefs. One of the reformers that the American government used was Henry Teller. “These philanthropists, who were extensively con-sulted by the federal government in its policy making throughout the second half of the 19th century, feared the only precaution that could be taken against the total disappearance of the Indian was a course of rapid and forced assimilation” (Gooding, 1996, p. 162). It is apparent that the government attempted to force the Native Americans to abandon their cultural identity and their land and assimilate into the American culture. An unfortunate result, the Native American people were forced to move to reservations against their will and left to face the adversities of war they did not create and abandon their identity in a land they were not familiar with. The Native American people transitioned from a life of freedom to a life of slavery and isolation. There is no question that the Native American people were forced to live in reservations and had their native lands and way of life taken away. There was little that the Native Americans could do to fight back the Army. Sure there were some victories during the Indian Wars such as the Battle of Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876, “Despite occasional victories, however, American Indian nations were eventually overwhelmed (Indian Wars and Treaties, 2010). It hasn’t been until recent times that the Native American Culture has been recognized for the trials and tribulations they faced during these times of isolation. They have also made strides to move away from the isolation that they were forced to live. “While American Indians had been fighting for their self-determination since the Europeans first set foot on the continent, the modern Indian self-determination movement began in the mid-1940s, with the first organization of American Indians of all tribes: the National Congress of American Indians” (Indian Self-Determination, 2009). The goal of this organization was to prevent the government from removing more Native American Controlled land by the government’s “Termination Policy”; the organization formed a protest which was successful.
Another positive action the Native American tribes did was to band together and form the “Declaration of Indian Purpose” (Indian Self-Determination, 2009). There were 90 tribes that were represented. The Declaration addressed land rights, education, and freedoms relevant to the Native Indian People.” In short, the Indians ask for assistance, technical and financial, for the time needed, however long that may be, to regain in the America of the space age some measure of the adjustment they enjoyed as original possessors of their native land” (Indian Self-Determination, 2009). One of the events that really helped thrust the Native Americans to reach out for justice and freedom was the civil rights movement of the 1960’s by the African Americans. The native American Indians also formed peaceful protests much like that of the civil rights movement and attempted to regain the rights to practice activities from their cultural heritage. Since the 1970’s the Native American people have made strides toward equality and separation from isolation. There have been several legal cases that Native Americans have won legal suites that address land that was wrongfully taken away. One such case was in 1971 regarding the Native American Rights Fund, the case was won and a monetary settlement made (Indian Self-Determination, 2009). The mindset of some Native Americans has also changed such as that of Leon Shenandoah an Iroquois Indian chief in 1979 he said “For some reason, the Creator has allowed you to stay. I don 't know why. And I don 't think you know why. But I do know that we will have to work it out together.” It has been these types of leaders that have enabled a positive change for Native American culture to progress. From the first step of the European settlers the Native Americans that were indigenous to the land have lost much of their way of life. It has been a constant battle both literally and figuratively for this culture to survive. The native Indians that occupied America had freedom of the land and were isolated prior to the nineteenth century, by the end of the nineteenth century they began to lose land and freedoms due to manifest destiny, and later in the twentieth century began regaining freedoms once lost.

References

Baird, W. D. et al. (2009-03-29). We are all Americans, Native Americans in the Civil War. Alexandriava.gov. Retrieved from: http://alexandriava.gov/historic/fortward/default.aspx?id= 40164.
Bowles, M., (2011). American History 1856 – Present / End of Isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.
Gooding, S. S., (1996). At the Boundaries of Religious Identity: Native American Religions and American Legal Culture. Religion, Law and the Construction of Identities. 43(2), 157-183. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3270345
Indian Wars and Treaties. (2010). In Encyclopedia of American Studies. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/jhueas/indian_wars_and_treaties
Ford, A. R. (2010). The Myth of Tribal Sovereignty: An Analysis of Native American Tribal Status in the United States. International Community Law Review, 12(4), 397-411. Retrieved from: Academic Search Premier (Accession No. 55140480)
Indian Self-Determination. (2009). In Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: Http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcpga/indian_self_ determination

References: Baird, W. D. et al. (2009-03-29). We are all Americans, Native Americans in the Civil War. Alexandriava.gov. Retrieved from: http://alexandriava.gov/historic/fortward/default.aspx?id= 40164. Bowles, M., (2011). American History 1856 – Present / End of Isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Gooding, S. S., (1996). At the Boundaries of Religious Identity: Native American Religions and American Legal Culture. Religion, Law and the Construction of Identities. 43(2), 157-183. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3270345 Indian Wars and Treaties. (2010). In Encyclopedia of American Studies. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/jhueas/indian_wars_and_treaties Ford, A. R. (2010). The Myth of Tribal Sovereignty: An Analysis of Native American Tribal Status in the United States. International Community Law Review, 12(4), 397-411. Retrieved from: Academic Search Premier (Accession No. 55140480) Indian Self-Determination. (2009). In Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: Http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcpga/indian_self_ determination