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Indian Removal Act
Signed by President Andrew Jackson. Relocated the five civilized tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek) west of the Mississippi River. -
Trail of Tears
The five civilized tribes were coerced into either relocation away from homelands or assimilation into Euro-American society. This relocation process lasted over a decade and thousands of Natives died along the way. -
Navajo Long Walk
Diné individuals were caught and forced to march hundreds of miles to Bosque Redondo where they would be imprisoned for years. Diné leaders negotiated Government out of further removal and they returned to homelands. -
Ute Treaty of 1868
Signed by Colorado Ute bands and decreased tribal lands from 56 million acres to 18 million acres. -
Navajo Treaty of 1868
Allowed Diné to leave Bosque Redondo imprisonment and return to their homelands. Allowed US Officials to settle on and oversee Diné land. Navajo Reservation size reduced but through multitude of policies has become the largest Native reservation in the US. -
Carlise Indian Industrial School Opens
Began the Indian Boarding School era and enforced by Richard Henry Pratt with the "Kill the Indian, Save the Man" ideology. -
Dawes Act of 1887
Redistributed Native land to individual Natives and allowed for white ownership of leftover land. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
US citizenship was granted to Natives born in the US. -
Indian Reorganization Act
Stopped the former policy in place to eliminate Native reservations. Gave tribes more sovereignty and self-determination and protected their allotted reservations. -
Indian Relocation Act of 1956
Encouraged Natives to leave government sanctioned reservations and relocate to urban areas in hopes to assimilate Natives and break up their reservations. -
American Indian Movement Alcatraz Occupation Begins
AIM occupies Alcatraz island to protest mistreatment of Natives and the theft of their land. Occupation lasted 18-months -
American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978
Protected the rights of Natives to exercise their traditional religions by ensuring access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites. Excluded the ceremonial use of peyote. -
American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 Amended
Includes the ceremonial use of peyote.