‘the Actions of Native Americans Themselves Contributed Nothing to the Advancement of Their Civil Rights in the Period 1865 to 1992’.
‘The actions of Native Americans themselves contributed nothing to the advancement of their civil rights in the period 1865 to 1992’.
Native Americans admittedly, did surprisingly little in the initial two thirds of the period, despite the Plains Wars and other small-localized armed resistance during the nineteenth century; the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1889 effectively marked the end to such resistance. Whilst it can be argued that their efforts were at best lukewarm during the beginning, in the closing third of the period, the Native Americana ‘movement’, galvanized by the African American civil rights campaign and revolutionary zeitgeist became increasingly active and forceful in the advancement of their civil rights. Thus the statement is not true for the whole period, although, equally, they cannot be accredited full responsibility for their gains, with other factors playing significant roles; Government policy both hindered and assisted the cause, declaring Indians as ‘domestic dependent nations’, whose ‘relation to the United States resembles that of a ward to his guardian’, yet instrumental in granting them citizenship and legal rights. Federal policy, although essential to the final legitimacies, were often as a result of an external event or factor, and, it can be argued the policy did as much harm as help during the period. Similarly Supreme Court judgments had a fairly back and forth relationship with Native Americans, with early acts such as the ‘Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock’ in 1903 deeming them ‘An ignorant and dependent race’, whilst obtaining some successes for Native Americans, yet, unlike government policy, the advances made were somewhat minor. The turning point, apparent in both federal action and court cases, is key when accessing the plight for Native American civil rights; social and economic change is at the root of such a change in attitude, with the world wars proving influential to federal policy, and more importantly, the inspiration
Native Americans admittedly, did surprisingly little in the initial two thirds of the period, despite the Plains Wars and other small-localized armed resistance during the nineteenth century; the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1889 effectively marked the end to such resistance. Whilst it can be argued that their efforts were at best lukewarm during the beginning, in the closing third of the period, the Native Americana ‘movement’, galvanized by the African American civil rights campaign and revolutionary zeitgeist became increasingly active and forceful in the advancement of their civil rights. Thus the statement is not true for the whole period, although, equally, they cannot be accredited full responsibility for their gains, with other factors playing significant roles; Government policy both hindered and assisted the cause, declaring Indians as ‘domestic dependent nations’, whose ‘relation to the United States resembles that of a ward to his guardian’, yet instrumental in granting them citizenship and legal rights. Federal policy, although essential to the final legitimacies, were often as a result of an external event or factor, and, it can be argued the policy did as much harm as help during the period. Similarly Supreme Court judgments had a fairly back and forth relationship with Native Americans, with early acts such as the ‘Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock’ in 1903 deeming them ‘An ignorant and dependent race’, whilst obtaining some successes for Native Americans, yet, unlike government policy, the advances made were somewhat minor. The turning point, apparent in both federal action and court cases, is key when accessing the plight for Native American civil rights; social and economic change is at the root of such a change in attitude, with the world wars proving influential to federal policy, and more importantly, the inspiration