ipl-logo

Does The BIA Really Enhance The Quality Of Native American Life?

1635 Words7 Pages

Does the BIA Really Enhance the Quality of Native American Life?
Although the United States is arguably one of the most progressed democracies globally, certain aspects of the government’s institutions need attention. An institution is a broad term that accounts for the Electoral College, news outlets, education, economy, and most specifically, the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Informally, the bureaucracy is considered an institution since it is necessary in executing policy throughout the country. Within the bureaucracy, the Bureau of Indian Affairs exists. The BIA is currently housed within the Department of the Interior, a department under the Executive branch. The BIA is in charge of protecting the interests of Native Americans. However, throughout history, the BIA seems to only protect the interests that they deem necessary. (Cornell) The Founding Fathers knew at the very beginning that they’d have an ongoing and complex conflict with the Native Americans, as they knew that they had stolen their land in a matter of seconds. The United States trusts in the Bureau of Indian Affairs to justly assist in the regulations and governance of Native American tribes, but does it? …show more content…

During the earliest years of the United States when the US Constitution was written, the Founding Fathers addressed the Native Americans living on the land the earliest in Article 1, Section 8. “Congress shall have power to regulate Commerce with foreign nations...and with the Indian tribes.” (U.S. Const. Art. I, Sect. 8.) Suddenly, the United States had authority over the Native American tribes and how to deal with them economically and

Show More
Related

  • Western Expansion Dbq

    325 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the period 1860-1890, western expansion negatively impacted the lives of Native Americans, by turning their lives upside-down under the order of the orders of the federal government. I say this because The Americans massacred the friendly Indians, Disrespected the culture and beliefs by slaughtering the buffalo, and Forcing Indians to assimilate to American culture. Native Americans were negatively impacted by Americans because of the western expansion and in doing so it lead to the incorrect assumption which in fact lead to the massacre of friendly Indians. In the morning of November 29th Colonel Chivington allowed a surprise attack on the friendly native americans which lead to the death of mostly women and children. The Native

    Read More

  • Indian New Deal Pros And Cons

    142 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the 1930s the federal government had put in place a set of policies know as the Indian New Deal. Natives of the Northwest Coast were encouraged to adopt governmental forms and constitutions to establish relations. The government had the final say in how tribes were coordinated, they controlled who sat in chairs of power and how things would be running. Following the 1950s federal policies towards the Indian people continue to vacillate. During the last past two decades of the twentieth century the tribes of Washington have been still making attempts to have the terms of the 1850 honored by the state and federal governments mostly in regards to fishing rights, to bring economic stability to the Native community through the utilization of

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Andrew Jackson, John Marshall And The Trail Of Tears

    813 Words  | 4 Pages

    Andrew Jackson, John Marshall, and The Trail of Tears There have been many dark times in our History as Americans. Among them is the Trail of Tears,brought upon by Andrew Jackson, which exiled the Indians from the American south and resulted in the death of thousands on the way to Oklahoma. Before this trying time there was speculation within the supreme court whether to treat the Native tribes as a sovereign foreign nation or as a dependent entity within the United States. I will discuss how these decisions came to be, the reactions to said decisions, and the aftermath of these rulings which inevitably leads to the Trail of Tears.

    Read More

  • The Concerns Revolving The Doctrine Of American Indians

    606 Words  | 3 Pages

    The existence of tribal sovereignty over hundreds of years has sparked the assimilation that the doctrine of American Indians is not only a lawful perception, but also an essential component that defines the evolution of our country. Tribal sovereignty addresses the right for tribes to govern themselves (Internet citation) and for them to mandate their property and their land’s decisions, but if so is the case, why have infinite number of tribes been removed from their territories? Without a doubt, this paper will explore and argue how our country has been affected because of unfair laws and policies that have unreasonably been established to tribes. In order to justify this argument, I will discuss the concerns revolving the Doctrine Discovery,

    Read More

  • Western Expansion And Its Effects On The Lives Of Native Americans

    394 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the Civil War ended many people were in hope of finding land since population was increasing. Since the West was underdeveloped and uncivilized, many decided to expand the land. First the Louisiana Purchase increased the opportunity of expansion. Then industrialization and the Homestead Act also caused many companies encouraged to move West due to the low cost of land and that the transportation was provided through the railroads. In order to complete such goals, something had to be done with the Natives since it conflicted with their home area.

    Read More

  • Walter R. Echo-Hawk Thesis

    1086 Words  | 5 Pages

    Secondary Source Analysis In order to create his ideal Native American standing within the American Government, which includes the non-indigenous portion of the world acknowledging and understanding Native American issues with the United States and Internationally, Walter R. Echo-Hawk, in his A Context for Understanding Native American Issues, delves into the United State’s past Indian affairs as well as his goals for achieving this ideal. It is important to consider the author’s attitude towards the topic, his desired audience and the devices he used when analyzing the strength of his arguments. Echo-Hawk brings up the point, during the beginning of chapter two, that the general public is unaware of much of the happenings between the United

    Read More

  • The Black Hills War

    1158 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Black Hills War, also known as the Great Sioux War of 1876, was a series of battles fought from 1876 through 1877, between the forces of the United States and their allies (Shoshone, Pawnee, and Crow) and the Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho). Taking place under two presidencies and resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides, The Black Hills War made great impacts that would continue to affect Natives for generations. The United State’s extensive relationship with the Native Americans has its intricacies to say the least. With the arrival of English settlers at Jamestown in 1607, there were undoubtedly uncertainties amongst the Native people as to whether or not these settlers would resemble the Spanish settlers who

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On Native Americans

    1314 Words  | 6 Pages

    The United States sent armies into the Native American lands, mistreating the Native Americans, and caused trouble against them by sparkling conflicts and wars. “It is not, of course, to be understood that the government of the United States is at the mercy of Indians; but thousands of its citizens are, even thousands of families. Their exposed situation on the extreme verge of settlement affords a sufficient justification to the government for buying off the hostility of the Savages, excited and exasperated as they are…by the invasion of their hunting grounds and the threatened extinction of their game.” (Document 4) The United States government introduced policies for Native Americans to have a better life, but in fact, they kept them in

    Read More

  • The Indian Removal Act: The First American Civil War

    809 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States gave the Indians time to move west and those that had not done so by choice were forced. The removal of the Indians was a long going issue for The United States, that no one knew just how to deal with. “Some officials in the early years of the American republic, such as President George Washington, believed that the best way to solve this “Indian problem” was simply to “civilize” the Native

    Read More

  • Cherokee Nation 1830 Analysis

    402 Words  | 2 Pages

    On July 17, 1830, the Cherokee nation published an appeal to all of the American people. United States government paid little thought to the Native Americans’ previous letters of their concerns. It came to the point where they turned to the everyday people to help them. They were desperate. Their withdrawal of their homeland was being caused by Andrew Jackson signing the Indian Removal Act into law on May 28, 1830.

    Read More

  • Cherokee Pros And Cons

    1733 Words  | 7 Pages

    The removal of the Cherokee, or more commonly known as the “Trail of Tears,” was a defining American event that left an incredible historical impact. The Cherokee and other Native American tribes were being moved westward by the American government for various reasons such as disputes with white settlers, the desire for the gold on the Cherokee lands, the desire to civilize them and other reasons. However, it was far from a simplistic dispute between whites and Native Americans. There were many whites, including President Jackson, as well as some Cherokee, who supported the policy to move the Indians west. Opponents of the removal also included both whites and Cherokee.

    Read More

  • How Did Andrew Jackson Change America

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jackson was wanting to change Washington and America. He done that very fast. The very first major piece of legislation, Jackson had recommended and got passed, was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act forced Jackson to prevent all the Indian tribes to live East of the Mississippi River. There were five Indian nations that were highly effected.

    Read More

  • Junípero Serra

    1262 Words  | 6 Pages

    Losing one’s cultural knowledge, and therefore the reality of their culture, allows others to have control over their collective and individual consciousness as well as their destiny. In this case, it is clear that the United States government has had the dominant relationship over the Native

    Read More

  • The Trans-Mississippi West

    784 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the “Gilded Age” period of American history, development of the Trans-Mississippi west was crucial to fulfilling the American dream of manifest destiny and creating an identity which was distinctly American. Since the west is often associated with rugged pioneers and frontiersmen, there is an overarching idea of hardy American individualism. However, although these settlers were brave and helped to make America into what it is today, they heavily relied on federal support. It would not have been possible for white Americans to settle the Trans-Mississippi west without the US government removing Native Americans from their lands and placing them on reservations, offering land grants and incentives for people to move out west, and the

    Read More

  • Native Americans In The 19th Century

    951 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the 19th century Native Americans were treated far less than respectful by the United States’ government. This was the time when the United States wanted to expand and grow rapidly as a land, and to achieve this goal, the Native Americans were “pushed” westward. It was a memorable and tricky time in the Natives’ history, and the US government made many treatments with the Native Americans, making big changes on the Indian nation. Native Americans wanted to live peacefully with the white men, but the result of treatments and agreements was not quite peaceful. This precedent of mistreatment of minorities began with Andrew Jackson’s indian removal policies to the tribes of Oklahoma (specifically the Cherokee indians) in 1829 because of the lack of respect given to the indians during the removal laws.

    Read More

More about Does The BIA Really Enhance The Quality Of Native American Life?

Open Document