LAD #25: The Dawes Act

The Dawes Act of 1887 called for the protection Indian reservations. The government (specifically the President) did this by designating reservation land to Indian families that would obviously continue to remain a part of the United States. The government managed to carry out the Dawes Act peacefully by allowing the natives to maintain a large enough "section" (which was based upon age and family size). The Dawes ACt also protected the natives from tribal conflicts by creating provisional lines that allowed for each tribe to attain an equal amount of lan. However, if these provisional lines did not last for any reason, the territorial lines were redrawn by the Secretary of the Interior. Going to the extreme of guaranteeing the natives hapiness, the US government gave patents to the natives to ensure that the natives' new lands would remain theirs as long as they did not leave the US domain in the next twenty-five years. During this time, all economic activity was to be carefully watched by the Secretary of the Interiror. The American government also had the right to distribute the land for homes, irrigation systems, and educational facilities. The government would also protect the natives freedom of religion by allowing religious practice in a sector of the provided land.  Lastly, citizenship was offered to all Indians who supported the act, follwed the laws, and were born within the borders of the United States. Unfortunately, the act did not apply to all native tribes (specifically, the tribes moved by Jackson and the Seneca Nation in New York). The act also contains no protection from railroads, telegraph lines, or other public uses as decreed by Congress.