Native Americans/American Indians 

Laura LeBlanc 

HIS206: United States History II (HIR1701A) 

Instructor:  Max Fassnacht

February 6, 2017

American Indian Battle footage: Run To the Hills- Iron Maiden

Bachman, M, 2011

Introduction/Thesis:

Since the advent of the 19th century, the American Indians have maintained their culture through celebrations and strength of their innate character, which have earned them the respect to merge governments and live in peace among the American culture. Four events that were

significant to the history of the American Indians are the Wounded Knee massacre, the Indian reorganization Act of 1934, Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA), and National American Indian Heritage Month. During the Wounded Knee Massacre, Sioux chief Big Foot and some 350 of his followers were surrounded by forceful U.S. Troops around their camp at Wounded Knee Creek. The most experienced Indian fighter that led those troops was Captain Myles Moylan who received the medal of honor for his heroism by President Glover Cleveland (Russell, S, 2013).

While Sometimes taking lives in war is necessary so that freedoms are maintained for the overall good of the entire purpose, a massacre of an innocent people who just want to live free is very wrong because It annihilates many people who have much to offer, It interferes with healthy

communication skills, and It takes the freedom and self-respect away from other human beings. Though the American Indian people still believe their land was stolen by the U.S. government and they have been confined to reservations, the U.S. government has made amends

through Civil rights amendments and cultural celebrations of the American tribes.

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U.S. Army report about aftermath of Wounded Knee

Situation Report Sent to General Colby, n.d.

Captain Myles Moylan

Russell, S, (2013)

The Wounded Knee Massacre

Rabbit, W., 2009

Map of Wounded Knee

Russell, S, 2013

Wounded Knee - The Darkest Hour

Mecksickene, 2008

December 29, 1890

The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred near Wounded Knee Creek (Lakota) Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, S. Dakota. The Sioux were surrounded by forceful U.S. Troops around their camp at Wounded Knee Creek who came to arrest Big Foot and his warriors. It was a long tense time of trouble for many months! The Indians in the tribe had those who believed that doing the ghost dance would give them power to conquer the American troops (Morris & Wander, 1990). They fought for the former days of freedom before being sentenced to the Indian reservations. The murder of sitting Bull causing some Sioux Indians to leave the reservation seeking justice. A multitude of arrests of women and children all contributed to this event. This event revealed that though stealing land was wrong the U.S. Government felt it was necessary to move westward. America would not be the country it is today if the Indians owned the territory. The Wounded Knee Massacre impacted the American Indians throughout history and to this day as the Indians still live on reservations in many areas of the U.S. Today, there are still Indian members who are bitter about how the American government took their lands and oppressed their people.

Burial of Lakota in mass graves.

Pierce, C.C., n.d.

Captain Moylan’s Medal of Honor Letter

Russell, S, 2013

Indian New Deal; Indian reorganization Act of 1934

LOKEN, K & VEGA, E, 2013

June 18, 1934

Under the 73rd United States Congress, John Collier who worked under President Franklin D. Roosevelt studied the Indians and felt their culture was worthy of imitation. He fought for change for the American Indian culture and Indian freedoms (Taylor, G, 1980). One of the issues was the elimination of Indian reservations. Due to governments mismanagement of tribal lands it was felt something needed to be done in favor of Indian Civil rights. Though Collier received criticism on different levels due to some believing he was not as helpful as he thought in regard to helping the Indians be restored to their culture; the Indian New deal helped Indians not be totally assimilated into American culture. Through the Wheeler-Howard Act, a nickname of the IRA, the Indians maintained living their own culture on their own Indian reservations. These boundary lines remain today.

1968

Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA). Certain individual rights of Indians and non-Indians cannot be violated by governments of the Indian tribal governments.

Flikr, n.d.

Indian Civil Rights Act

The American Federal law of the United States was enacted under

Congress of the U.S. Government in 1968. This came about because of Indians intermarrying and the need to protect the Indians civil rights (American Bar Association, 1993). This portrayal of Indian Civil Rights was enacted to protect tribal members from corrupt actions of oppressive inept behavior of tribal authorities. Today, this law protects the rights of Indians and non Indians alike. This law is similar to the white Americans Bill of Rights to help protect the tribal members within their own culture from being abused.

November 1990

National American Indian Heritage Month which gives the American Indians a platform to celebrate their Native American heritage through, arts, religion and presentations.

Flikr, n.d.

National American Indian Heritage Month

While President Reagan served as President, under Congress in 1986, President Clinton declared November of each year to be National American Indian Heritage Month. There were longstanding legal disputes that preceded the decision. Because of all of torment and brutality, the Indians endured, the American Indians were given a time of celebration such as the Indian Pow Wows (DiConsiglio, J 2005). This celebration was put in place to commemorate and recognize the painful history the Native Americans suffered and the broken promises. We strengthen government relationships between Native and American governments. Native Americans have much to offer the world and the people of this world. A heritage that was attacked and at one point the motive was to make it extinct, has survived all these attempts and lives on to add value to the earth and other cultures. Local tribes gained greater independence.

References:

American Bar Association, (1993). Civil Jurisdiction of Indian Tribes over Nonmembers: The Supreme Court Sheds New Light on an Old Problem. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/stable/40923282

Bachman, M, 2011. Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills - American Indian. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-aCundFUgc

DiConsiglio, J 2005. Pow Wow Power. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=f417da78-f987-4cd9-a390-9b00f50fc7d9%40sessionmgr4006&hid=4207&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=18794366&db=a9h

Flikr. (n.d.). American Indian Bill of Rights [Equal Protection Under the Law]. Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/tradingcardsnpsyahoocom/7222964110

Flikr. (n.d.). Native American Heritage Month [Native american poster]. Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/untlibrariesris/5126022007/

Loken, K. D. 2013, January 24). New Deal [Children dancing around the president]. Retrieved from http://ndla.no/en/node/87986?fag=71082

Mecksickene, 2008. Wounded Knee - The Darkest Hour. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkJaYe1T8l8

Morris, R. & Wander, P., (1990). Native American Rhetoric: Dancing in the Shadows of The Ghost Dance. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=4e2ddea8-0932-46e3-9416-62b6773a58ca%40sessionmgr4007&hid=4207

Pierce, C.C., “American soldiers gathering up dead Sioux Indians after the Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, 1892,” Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/156b1f05396af0e7c2466c2e053d4664.

Rabbit, W. (2009, December 20). The Wounded Knee Massacre [Wounded Knee]. Retrieved from: http://www.progressivehistorians.com/2009/12/wounded-knee-massacre-119th-anniversary.html

Russell, S, (2013). Captain Myles Moylan , Commander of a Troop, 7th Calvary. Retrieved from: https://armyatwoundedknee.com/2013/09/15/captain-myles-moylan-a-troop-7th-cavalry/

Situation Report Sent to General Colby, Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/d5062e67475439cee6a85450f68ff06f

Taylor, G (1980). The New Deal and American Tribalism: The Administration of

The Indian Reorganization Act, 1934-45. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=90d1b8af-b134-4de4-a91b-e89f4e845c71%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4207&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=40309456&db=a9h