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The Dawes Severalty act is important because it was one of many pieces of legislation passed after the Civil War which represented a major shift in U.S. govenment policy towards Native American tribes. The previous policy revolved around the notion of "separation and reservation," i.e., move Native Americans to out of the way lands and, essentially, let them be. Of course, the implementation of this policy was far more opportunistic and violent than its theory. Tribes were forcibly moved to land unwanted by whites, taken advantage of while they remained on the reservation, and then moved again as white America changed their minds and desired the previously unwanted lands.
After the Civil War, certain cultural changes and ideas (e.g., white man's burden, an increase in Evangelical Christianity) shifted offical policy from "serparation and reservation" to "civilize the Indians, as much as they are capable, out of the savagery of their traditional culture." Along with legislation designed to disrupt the religious traditions of Native Americans (turn Christian and receive extra government benefits), laws were passed intended to disrupt the cultural traditions of Native Americans as well. The Dawe's Severalty Act was one such law.
The Dawe's act was "designed to destroy tribal organization and assimilate the Indian." For the most part, traditional Native American culture did not have a conception of land as as a type of individual private property, only of land as a communal tribal resource. The Dawe's Act divided the tribal lands into small partitions for individuals to own and farm, distinct from tribal management. This undercut the authority of tribal leadership and tribal organization as well as creating a system which increased corruption and opportunism in U.S. governmental--Native American relations.
After the Civil War, certain cultural changes and ideas (e.g., white man's burden, an increase in Evangelical Christianity) shifted offical policy from "serparation and reservation" to "civilize the Indians, as much as they are capable, out of the savagery of their traditional culture." Along with legislation designed to disrupt the religious traditions of Native Americans (turn Christian and receive extra government benefits), laws were passed intended to disrupt the cultural traditions of Native Americans as well. The Dawe's Severalty Act was one such law.
The Dawe's act was "designed to destroy tribal organization and assimilate the Indian." For the most part, traditional Native American culture did not have a conception of land as as a type of individual private property, only of land as a communal tribal resource. The Dawe's Act divided the tribal lands into small partitions for individuals to own and farm, distinct from tribal management. This undercut the authority of tribal leadership and tribal organization as well as creating a system which increased corruption and opportunism in U.S. governmental--Native American relations.
source(s):
"The Enduring Vision: a History of the American People," 6th ed.
history classes and notes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Act
"The Enduring Vision: a History of the American People," 6th ed.
history classes and notes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Act
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