The US Governmental Policy Toward Native Americans

Introduction

It is important to note that the US government implemented a two-pronged policy of physical and cultural genocide toward Native Americans. The policy aimed to assimilate Native Americans into the dominant White American culture by force and intimidation while erasing their unique cultural identity¹. This assimilation was essential for the government for many years, even though other ethnic minorities were segregated. Overall thesis: Assimilation was critically important in relation to American Indians because the US government wanted to ‘civilize’ Native Americans, exploit more land, and impose new social norms.

‘Civilizing’ Native Americans

Firstly, the US government wanted to assimilate Native Americans to make them more ‘civilized.’ Assimilation policies originated in the late nineteenth century to address the “Indian problem.” The idea was to “civilize” Native Americans by changing them into “decent” American citizens willing to embrace mainstream American beliefs and customs². This was viewed as a means of making them more manageable and facilitating US advance into western regions. The assimilation strategy was also motivated by racial superiority, as many Americans saw Native People as inferior and needing “uplifting” and “civilizing.” The concept that Native Americans were “savages” who needed to be “educated” and “Christianized” to become “civilized” reflected this. Some ethnic minorities, however, such as African Americans and Chinese immigrants, faced segregation and persecution. They were regarded as permanent members of American society but were denied many benefits and possibilities. In the case of African Americans, segregation was legally enforced by the Jim Crow laws that imposed racial segregation in the South³. Chinese immigrants were denied citizenship and subjected to discriminatory laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. These differences in attitudes towards National Minorities can be explained by the fact that Native Americans developed their statehood and culture long before the arrival of the first colonists on the continent. White Americans have had to embrace these circumstances to varying degrees. This distinguishes Native Americans from other ethnic minorities who arrived on the continent from the outside and were completely cut off from their homeland and culture.

Land Exploitation

Secondly, the US government wanted to assimilate Native Americans to exploit their lands. This land exploitation was critical to the US government’s efforts to integrate Native Americans. The federal government acquired millions of acres of land from Native American villages by the Dawes Act of 1887, selling it to European settlers at reduced prices. These manipulations were used to revive the economy and were potentially seen as a boon for the country as a whole⁴. Furthermore, the US government utilized its influence to promote railroads and other large corporations to invest in Indian territory, expanding white control over Native populations and resources. This has led to a reduction in resources owned by Native Americans. The planting of farming in territories that had not been practiced before also had a painful effect on the lives of tribes. The act was ostensibly intended to encourage Native Americans to embrace a sedentary, agricultural lifestyle and integrate into mainstream American society. However, later, it became clear that this act harmed Native American communities and their way of life. The policy aimed to foster private property ownership while forcing Native Americans to become farmers⁵. This policy, however, was severely faulty and had terrible repercussions. Farming was inappropriate for many Native Americans, as the activity was out of tune with the traditional way of life. For agriculture, it is necessary to have a specific skill set that is absent from the vast majority of the indigenous population. As a result of forced farming, many Native People were compelled to sell their property at rock-bottom prices to white newcomers.

Imposing Social Norms

Thirdly, the US government wanted to assimilate Native Americans to impose new social norms on them. Changing socio-cultural norms was also an essential part of the process of assimilation and adaptation of the indigenous people of America to Western society. Unfortunately, the Dawes Act also terribly affected Native American culture. That happened mainly because, for generations, Native American tribes have followed their customs, traditions, and laws. Adopting the act made it impossible to preserve the traditional way of life and harmed the centuries-old culture of these people. Traditional White American gender roles and family structures were also imposed on Native American communities. Female Christian missionaries were essential to this cultural reeducation campaign, striving to instill Protestant religion while replacing Indigenous peoples’ tribal social groups with small, patriarchal families⁶. This was accomplished by convincing Native American women to quit the fields and engage in more appropriate “women’s” employment, such as housework. The purpose was to impose a new gender division of labor that reflected middle- and upper-class American customs and ideals, with women’s labor restricted to the home realm, unpaid, and undervalued⁷. This starkly contrasted with Native American civilizations, where women historically controlled their labor, and their work as laborers and food providers was highly appreciated in society⁸. The endeavor had the unintended consequence of destroying Indigenous social systems. This weakened Native American tribes even further.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a desire to ‘civilize’ Native Americans, exploit more land, and impose new social norms were key drivers behind the US government’s assimilation efforts. Economic, political, and racial considerations drove the strategy of physical and cultural genocide against Native Americans, reflected in the endeavor to impose American gender norms on Indigenous peoples. This attempt to integrate Native Americans into mainstream American culture resulted in the erasure of Indigenous cultures and social structures, the marginalization of Native American women, and the use of violence to achieve political and economic goals.

References

Abernathy, Christopher, et al. “Reconstruction.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 31-48. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Adams, Ellen et al. “American Empire.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 3-15. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Baker, Andrew C., et al. “Capital and Labor.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 78-89. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Baker, Andrew C., et al. “The Progressive Era.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 3-15. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Brand, Lauren, et al. “Conquering the West.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 48-55. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Burnett, Lee D., et al. “The New World.” In The American Yawp, edited by Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, 56-78. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Wilson, Woodrow. “The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the Generous Energies of a People.” New York, NY: Garden City Doubleday, Page & Company, 1913.

Footnotes

1. L. D. Burnett et al., “The New World,” in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018)
2. Woodrow, Wilson, «The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the Generous Energies of a People» (New York: New York and Garden City Doubleday, Page & Company, 1913)
3. Christopher Abernathy et al., “Reconstruction,” Nicole Turner, ed., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018) Chap. III
4. Lauren Brand et al., “Conquering the West”, Lauren Brand, ed., The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018)
5. Andrew C. Baker et al., “Capital and Labor,” Joseph Locke, ed., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018)
6. Andrew C. Baker et al., “The Progressive Era,” Mary Anne Henderson, ed., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018) Chap. III
7. Ellen Adams et al., “American Empire”, Ellen Adams and Amy Kohout, eds., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018)
8. Lauren Brand et al., “Conquering the West”, Lauren Brand, ed., The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018)