For our assignment, we read Chapter 3 of Fixico, which detailed the Indian New Deal and tribal governments. The chapter talks about John Collier, who was a strong advocate for the Indian Reorganization Act(IRA). The IRA is a plan to give Indians an opportunity to thrive by themselves without systems of federal paternalism controlling them from self-government. However, the Indian communities were hesitant to accept this offer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The reason for hesitation on the part of the Indian communities was that there was significant distrust in the federal government after the harsh treatment they had previously received. In the end, 172 of the tribes accepted this “Indian New Deal”, while 73 rejected the government offer. The positive outcomes from the IRA were tribal court systems, end to allotment, land acquisition, healthcare, removal of boarding schools, and cultural freedom. The most important for land was the end of allotment, which was tearing communities apart to try and assimilate them into the American lifestyle. The response to the IRA by natives was interesting because it ended up separating communities in all kinds of ways. Some communities would have the younger generations separate from the older generations because of their views and preferences on the IRA.
seanjr81 July 9, 2018
I found it crazy how they ended separating them into the way that they did, with some of the younger generations being away from the older just because of views but then again I understand why they did it. I also thought that there was some good things that came with the ideas of the IRA. One of the biggest things I thought as you mentioned was the boarding schools, I think its the boarding schools because there was so many wrongs that came with the schools. In the schools there was assault, kids being deprived from their families/communities and also being stripped from their lifestyles.
Amanda July 9, 2018
I think that everything John Collier accomplished greatly benefited the Native American community. Even if it was a pretty bumpy road with some problems along the way, everything you have stated above, and all the funds that were given to the tribal communities has greatly benefited their well being. If it weren’t for Collier promoting and pushing for all those changes, who knows where the Indian communities would be today. They would most likely not have progressed as much as they have. With that being said, there is still a long way for them to progress and there is still so much they need to be compensated for, it is only the beginning.