Native American Identity Group 5 Tim, James and Mark

NATIVE AMERICANS

The Native Identity

Identity through Land

• Part of the American Identity is the opportunity to own land and do as you wish with it

• The Native Americans lack of acknowledging land ownership gave the opportunity for early settlers to negotiate for land with goods (Native/European Economics. Dir. Jared Haas. Perf. Jared Haas. 2015. Youtube)

Boundless. Boundless U.S. History. 2 June 2015. Web. Ch 1 Sec 5 Pg 2

Trade Influences The natives and early settlers also practiced a trade for “Wampum” or a chain of Native American beads and shells. This influenced the identity of early settlers by integrating them with the Indians monetary practices. (Haas)

These practices led to animosity and war over trade that shaped the early settlers opinions towards Natives that may have led to the continued conflicts even into the founding of America. (Native/European Economics. Dir. Jared Haas. Perf. Jared Haas. 2015. Youtube)


Agricultural Progress

In the early settlements of modern day America, the negotiations between natives and settlers led to the exchange of North American Indian farming practices that allowed Europeans to survive (Haas). In exchange metal products that the Indians were interested in were provided.

The American Identity may not have came about had it not been for the early help from the Natives

Boundless. Boundless U.S. History. 2 June 2015. Web. Ch 2 Sec 8 Pg 5 (Native/European Economics. Dir. Jared Haas. Perf. Jared Haas. 2015. Youtube)

Revolutionary Influence

Boundless. Boundless U.S. History. 2 June 2015. Web. Ch 2 Sec 8 Pg 5 & Ch 4 Sec 6 Pg 1

In the Revolution both the British and the Americans tried to gain alliance with Native tribes for their effort. The result for the lands east of the Mississippi that Britain seceded to America was therefore treated as the profits of war, even though the natives there were not included in the deal. This shaped the American idea of manifest destiny that was fundamental to the Identity at the time.

Nativism

• Taking its name from the Native Americans, Nativists believed that they were the true Native Americans.

• This idea was upheld despite the fact that these nativists were born by immigrants.

• The lack of consideration shows the American Identity in the 1830’s through 50’s was able to alienate the true natives, despite their actual lineages in North America.

• Natives impact on the American identity was relatively disregarded by this political sect


Iroquois Nation Influence

• The founding documents of America were influenced by the Iroquois Nation of Upstate New York

• This includes both the Articles of confederation and the US Constitution (Boundless, Ch 3 Sec 11 Pgs 2&3)

Iroquois Confederacy

• The Influence of these documents indicates that Native Americans influenced the fundamental foundation of this nation

• This in turn can be argued that the fundamental identity that the founding fathers strived for was directly influenced by native Americans

(Boundless, Ch 3 Sec 12 Pg 1)

Iroquois Nation

• “The Iroquois Confederacy and its ultimate fate may have influenced negotiations at the Continental Congress in 1787.”

Boundless, Ch 3 Sec 15 Pg 3 The influence by the native Americans on the American Identity is also present in the 2nd Continental Congress & therefore the Declaration of Independence

(Boundless, Ch 3 Sec 5 Pg 1) The Second Continental Congress

Six Point Plan

• “George Washington and Henry Knox believed that Native Americans were equals to Europeans” (Boundless, Ch 3 Sec 15 Pg 3)

• However he thought there way of life inferior and came up with a six point plan to civilize them


Six Point Plan

This inclusion of the Native

Americans by Washington

continues the argument that the

founding fathers looked at the

Natives as part of the American

Identity

“The Civilization Fund Act of 1819 promoted this civilization policy by providing funding to societies (mostly religious) who worked on Native American improvement”



Native American Economy

By: James Clark

Indian Country

“Indian Country” which is shown in red on the map was the amount of land the United States claimed ownership of when they won their revolution against Great Britain. They justified claiming the land because they fought with the French against the Brits and the colonies. Since they lost, the Americans believe that gives them the right to take and own their land. This land they claimed was all Indian lands west of the Appalachians.

Indian Country

With the lands taken and owned by the United States from the Indians this opened up the opportunity of settlers to move out west to plot new boarders, farms, and towns. To protect the Indians still living there and other areas the government passed several laws, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1890. These three actions are to protect and work with the Natives in good faith. However they soon became a problem due to Euro-Americans that wanted to expand all the way to the Pacific ocean.

Trading of Land

One of the great economical agreements the United States and

Natives had was their value of land. May tribes did refuse to give

up or sell their land. However, a few decided to take advantage of

the idea of American expansion and its sovereignty.

The Cherokee relinquished most of their land

to the United States and Embraced most

European life while living their traditional

ways. However a lot of the Cherokee

(and others) were still forcefully removed

when they refused land.

Foods/Crops

Among with the high importance of trading land and seizing it.

The natives had a wide variety of domesticated plants that they

grew to eat that they spread around the world. The famous ones

are corn (maize), potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, chili peppers and

many types of beans. With this, it changed the diets of people all

around the world.

Animals

Their food/crop choice wasn’t the only thing that really helped

pave a way for our trade to other nations. The animals as well

were high trade values. They raised and knew how to hunt

several specimens of turkeys, llamas, guinea pigs, and honey

bees. When traded or discovered how to hunt/scavenge, the

animals became great trade or farm items.

Cash Crops

The Natives also had a large understanding of other crops and

their importance. Two most popular ones that later help largely

stimulate the American economies were Tobacco and Cotton

plants. Cotton was very important for clothing and other

materials while tobacco was used for smoking and other

products. Both had a large impact in the future economy of the

nation. Cotton plantations became largely popular in the

1800’s and was the one of the United State’s largest export.

Valuables and Laborers

Indian labor in North American fur trade contributed significantly

to the wealth of the United States, England and even France.

Unfortunately as well, the land some Indian tribes settled near

were hotspots for gold miners and were either hired as cheap

labor or forced to move from the area.

Technology

Last but not least is the technology difference. The natives

technology was still based in the stone age, stone axes and such.

When Euro-Americans arrived they both traded together not just

knowledge of plantations, hunting, etc. Some tribes saw value in

firearms and other metal simplicity's (such as metal pots or

silverware). However a lot of others decided against this and

continued traditional values (such as bows and axes and pottery).

Group Participation

• As a group, Mark, Tim and I have worked very effectively

upon our group assignments. We have worked together

accordingly, professionally and have always decided who does

what responsibly. In this project, I was given the pleasure to

work on how the Native Americans influenced the Economy

of the United States.

Work Cited

• “American Indian Issues” Narrative Historical Overview. N.D, N.A, americanindiantah.com 9 April, 2016

• “Native American Contributions” Teachers Article, 2016, N.A, scholastic.com 9 April, 2016

NATIVE AMERICANS

THE POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Establishment of the Bureau of

Indian Affairs

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was founded in 1824 by John C.

Calhoun Secretary of War. BIA was created within the War Department.

To oversee the BIA Calhoun selected Thomas McKenney as the Bureau’s

first leader. McKenney was responsible for treaty negotiations, regulate

Indian trade, oversee Indian schools, and deal with all the expenses and

correlation concerning Indian affairs (“U.S. History. com”).

(“Bing images.com”)

1830 Indian Removal Act

President Andrew Jackson created a law The Indian Removal Act

on May 28, 1830. This new law called for the removal of all

Indian tribes from their territories to relocate west of the

Mississippi River. Some refused to go which caused guerrilla

wars (Boundless, Ch.4 Sec. 15). In 1831 the first Indian nation to

be expelled were the Choctaws. Without any food, supplies or

other help from the government thousands of people died along

the way. It was, one Choctaw leader who said, “A trail of tears

and death.” As the process of the Indian-removal continued the

federal government drove the Creeks from their land in 1836.

3,500 of the 15,000 Creeks who set out for Oklahoma did not

survive the trip (“History. Com.).

1823 Johnson v. M’Intosh

Thomas Johnson, purchased land from the Piankeshaw

Indian tribes between 1773 and 1775. William M'Intosh

purchased the same land from the United States Congress in

1818. Johnsons’ sued M’Intosh to re-claim their land. The ruling

was in favor of M’Intosh because he had a legal title granted by

Congress. Whereas the Piankeshaw Indians didn’t own land.

The Supreme Court upheld this on the grounds of “Doctrine of

Discovery.” The cases of Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and

Worcester v. Georgia (1832) also took away the rights and

freedoms of the Native Indians. These were known as the

Marshall Trilogy cases that reinforced the federal land-taking

powers (“American Indian Issues”).

1838/9 Trail of Tears

The Cherokee nation petitioned through the courts for

their independence and freedom. May of 1838 President Jackson

sent 6,000 federal and state troops into Cherokee nation. On May

26th the start of capturing and removing16,000 Cherokees began

(NTIRNPS, 2013). Despite their insistence for independence

from government power the Cherokee Tribe were forced to from

their Indian territory in 1838. They were marched over 800 miles

and over 2000 died as a result of the rugged passage. The

journey to the Indian territory is famously known as the “Trail of

Tears” because more than ten thousand died of disease and

starvation (Boundless, Ch. 4 Sec.15). More than 70,000 Indians

in the U.S. were forced from their homelands.

Trail of Tears


1873-1874 Buffalo Wars

1873-74 Buffalo War: Some tribes of Plains Indians tried to save

the last herds of buffalo in Texas and Oklahoma from the white

hunters by force of arms because the decreasing number of

buffaloes (1890 only about 550 animals left from 50 million in

1800) threatened the survival of many tribes. The will to resist the

Europeans was weakened (also by epidemics of smallpox and

measles that wiped out whole tribes) so the American Indians

were easily forced to sign contracts in which they agreed to leave

their land to the USA (“U.S. History. Com”).

1874

1874 Gold was found in the Black Hills (part of the

“Great Sioux Reservation” in South Dakota). The government

planned a separation from the reservation and an immediate

relocation of the Indians in this area. This led to the Indian Wars.

In the Battle of Little BigHorn General Custer and all his men

were killed. This led to the U.S. government to declare the Fort

Laramie Treaty invalid due to Indian uprising. The Sioux were

given a document to sign that gave the U.S. the Black Hills and

22.8 million acres of land. Red Cloud and his chiefs signed

under duress thus ending the Great Sioux Reservation

(“American Indian Issues”).

1868 Fort Laramie Treaty

In 1866 Red Cloud leader of the Sioux declared war stating, "I will go - now! - and I will fight you! As long as I live I will fight you for the last hunting grounds of my people” (“American Indian Issues”). Two years later the forts were abandoned and a US peace commission met with Red Cloud. On Nov. 6, 1868, the Fort Laramie Treaty was signed guaranteeing the Sioux, "... absolute and undisturbed use of the Great Sioux Reservation...No persons...shall ever be permitted to pass over, settle upon, or reside in territory described in this article, or without consent of the Indians...No treaty for the cession of any portion or part of the reservation herein described...shall be of any validity or force...unless executed and signed by at least three-fourth of all adult male Indians, occupying or interested in the same“(“American Indian Issues”).

1890 Sitting-Bull

After the Battle of Little Bighorn the U.S. Army forced Sitting Bull to flee to Canada. Facing starvation Sitting Bull returned to the U.S. in 1881 where he surrendered. Two years as a prisoner of war he was permitted to live at Standing Rock Reservation. He was feared by government officials because of his influence and courage with the Sioux nation not to give up their lands. The rise of the Ghost Dance, a tribal religion that proclaimed that all whites would disappear and dead Indians and buffalo would return, brought him into disfavor with government officials. In 1890 he made no effort to stop the dancing at Standing Rock. When Indian police were sent to arrest him on December 15, 1890, Sitting-Bull was murdered which marked the ending of the Indian wars (“History. com”).

Sitting Bull


1890 Wounded Knee

In 1890 during Wounded Knee massacre about 300 Indians were

killed by the US army, among the victims there were mainly

women, elders and children.


1898 Curtis Act

Another congressional law, enacted June 28, 1898, was sponsored

by Charles Curtis. With the passage of the Curtis Act, Congress

took final control over affairs in Indian Territory. This Act

diminish and disbanded Indian Territory tribal governments,

abolished tribal courts, and subjected all persons in the territory

to federal law. There could be no enforcement of tribal laws and

any tribal legislation passed after 1898 had to be approved by the

president of the United States. This was the final step by

Congress to deprive the American Indians of self government and

sovereign control over tribal lands (“U.S. History. com”)

Life of the Native American

For many tribes, the

bureau has represented

mistrust, fraud, and

cultural destruction; for

the national government it

has represented both the

goal of fair dealing and

the reality of

mistreatment.


Group Participation

It is a pleasure working together with Tim and James. I

work on the political issues of the Native Americans. Starting

with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1823 to the Curtis Act 1998

Work Cited

U.S. History. Bureau of Indian Affairs. United States History,

(n.d.). Web. 8 April 2016. History. com. Sitting Bull. History. com. (n.d.)Web 8 April 2016

History. com. Trail of Tears. History. com. (n.d.)Web 8 April

2016

NTIRNPS. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Apr 18, 2013

American Indian Issues. 19th Century Indian Relations with the

United States. (N.D.) Web. 8 April 2016.

Bing Images. Images of pictures native americans. (n.d.) Web 9

April 2016

Education

Native American Identity Group 5 Tim, James and Mark