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The Impact Of The Wheeler Howard Act

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In a time of great economic insecurity, the implementation of the Wheeler Howard Act of 1935, apart of what is called the Indian New Deal, transformed government policy toward Native Americans. Beyond economic reform, the Indian New Deal positively resulted in the expansion of freedoms and rights of Native Americans. Journalist Frank H. Hill documented the impact of the Indian New Deal among Indians, particularly the Navajo, in A New Pattern of Life for the Indian. Through the account, Hill mentions several aspects of the Indian New Deal which proved beneficial to the Native American community. However, it should be noted that there were some apparent flaws. While the Indian New Deal demonstrated federal efforts to return Indian autonomy and provide needed economic support, the disregard for preexisting Indian government …show more content…

The Dawes Act of 1887 started an era of forced assimilation which stripped Indian Children of their culture and heritage. Through boarding schools, the government “sought to give the Indian the schooling of the whites, teaching him to despise his old customs and habits as barbaric” (185). Leading up to the Great Depression, government policies reduced Indian-owned lands which meant many Indian families were unable to make a living or provide for themselves. The Wheeler-Howard Act of 1935 effectively ended these policies and introduced freedoms which has been previously denied to Indians. It “gave to the tribe the right to decide whether they would accept important privileges in education, self-determination and self-government” (184). The law overturned the land allotment system and allowed tribes to establish official governments with limited powers as well as corporations to manage tribal resources. This would be integral in regaining the cultural identity and economic independence that Native Americans once

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