Assimilating Native Americans

Definition

Assimilating Native Americans refers to the process through which Indigenous peoples were encouraged or forced to adopt the cultural norms, values, and lifestyles of European Americans in the United States. This was often executed through policies that aimed to erase Native American identities, including their languages, religions, and traditional practices, promoting the idea that integration into mainstream American society was essential for survival and progress.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The goal of assimilating Native Americans was rooted in the belief that Indigenous peoples were 'uncivilized' and needed to adopt European American ways to succeed.
2. Many Native Americans resisted assimilation efforts, leading to conflicts with the U.S. government and military.
3. Policies such as the Indian Removal Act and the Dawes Act significantly disrupted Native American societies and contributed to the loss of tribal lands.
4. The establishment of boarding schools often involved harsh methods, including forbidding students from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultures.
5. Despite these efforts, many Native American communities have maintained their cultural identities and traditions despite pressures to assimilate.

Review Questions

• How did government policies like the Indian Removal Act reflect the broader goals of assimilating Native Americans?
  • The Indian Removal Act exemplified the government's intent to assimilate Native Americans by forcibly relocating tribes from their homelands. This act was based on the belief that Indigenous peoples could not coexist with European settlers and needed to be removed to allow for westward expansion. The displacement led to significant loss of land, resources, and traditional ways of life, which were seen as obstacles to assimilation into American society.
• In what ways did the Dawes Act contribute to both assimilation and the erosion of Native American tribal structures?
  • The Dawes Act aimed at breaking up tribal lands into individual allotments, promoting private land ownership as a means to assimilate Native Americans into Euro-American culture. This policy undermined communal tribal structures, which were central to Native American identities. By redistributing land in this way, many Native Americans lost their traditional ties to their communities and cultures, leading to further erosion of their societal frameworks.
• Evaluate the impact of boarding schools on Native American identity and culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • Boarding schools had a profound impact on Native American identity by enforcing assimilation through education that sought to erase cultural ties. Children were often taken from their families and subjected to strict rules prohibiting their languages and customs. This resulted in a generation that faced identity struggles as they were caught between two worlds: the traditional ways of their ancestors and the imposed Euro-American culture. Despite these challenges, many individuals later sought to reclaim their heritage, leading to a revitalization of cultural practices in subsequent years.

Related terms

Indian Removal Act:

A law enacted in 1830 that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands to designated 'Indian Territory' west of the Mississippi River.

Dawes Act:

A 1887 law aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land and granting U.S. citizenship, while undermining communal tribal lands.

Boarding Schools: Institutions established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that aimed to educate Native American children in Euro-American culture, often stripping them of their cultural identities.