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Robert Latham Owen becomes the first Native American senator.
Robert Latham Owen, a Cherokee Indian, becomes the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Owen represented Oklahoma in the Senate until 1925. -
The National Congress of American Indians holds its first conference in Denver, Colorado
Building on the efforts of earlier organizations such as the Society of American Indians and the American Indian Federation, the NCAI works to overcome tribal provincialism and forge a Pan-Indian alliance to advance the common objectives of Native Americans in the modern United States. The NCAI will lead the opposition to the "termination" policies advanced by Congress during the 1950s, leading to the repudiation of these policies by President Richard Nixon in 1973. -
Sacheen Littlefeather makes a speech at the Academy Awards for Marlon Brando.
Sacheen Littlefeather makes a speech at the Academy Awards for Marlon Brando. In protest of the treatment of Native Americans in the movie industry, Marlon Brando sends an Indian named Sacheen Littlefeather to make a speech and turn down his Academy Award. Brando won the Oscar for his role in the movie "The Godfather." -
The first Indian casino opens in Florida.
The first Indian casino opens in Florida. The Seminole Indian tribe opens the first Indian gaming facility in North America. It is only a high stakes bingo parlor, but Indian gaming will grow into a major source of income for many of the Indian tribes in America. -
The first Native American is made a saint by the Catholic Church.
The first Native American is made a saint by the Catholic Church. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk Indian in the 17th century, becomes the first Native American saint. Born in New York, Tekakwitha was shunned by her family and fellow tribe members when she was baptized at the age of 20.
