1834The Mashpee “revolt” against Massachusetts
authorities.
In the 18th century, the colony of Massachusetts
declared that the Mashpee tribe’s settlement on
Cape Cod was an Indian “plantation” and ap-
pointed white overseers to manage it. Long angered
by this interference in their affairs, the Mashpee are
encouraged by William Apess, a Pequot minister
and writer (see entries for 1829 and 1836), to expel
a white minister, take over their council house, and
block non-Indians from chopping wood in their
forests. Although the Mashpee commit no acts of
violence, Apess convinces the Massachusetts gov-
ernor that bloodshed will follow if the Mashpee’s
demands for self-government are not met. In
response to the so-called Mashpee Revolt, the gov-
ernor recognizes the tribe’s right to control their
own land.
Mexico secularizes the California
missions.
The Mission period (see entry for 1769) ends in
California as the Mexican government orders civil
authorities to replace priests as administrators of the
area’s missions. Many of the 30,000 Mission Indians
cheer as officials allow them to leave the missions.
The government, however, refuses to grant the
newly freed Indians legal equality or, except in rare
cases, legal title to any of their former lands. Some
Mission Indians move inland to live with Indian
tribes there. Others remain in California, working
as laborers for minuscule wages on Mexican-owned
farms and ranches.
The Western Territory Bill proposes the
establishment of Indian Territory.
With the support of President Andrew Jackson,
the Western Territory Bill is introduced in Con-
gress, but it fails to pass. The bill proposes formal
boundaries for an unorganized territory reserved for
Indians. By its terms, Indian Territory would cover
much of what is now Oklahoma, Kansas, southern
Nebraska, and eastern Colorado.
Congress passes the Indian Country
Crimes Act.
The Indian Country Crimes Act establishes that
federal courts have the responsibility of trying In-
dians accused of committing most criminal acts.
The exceptions cited are crimes committed by an
Indian against another Indian, which are to be tried
by tribes. This provision will stay in place until
the passage of the Major Crimes Act (see entry for
MARCH 3, 1885).June 30Congress passes the Intercourse Act
of 1834.
Intended to protect Indians from ruthless traders,
a new intercourse act gives Indian agents greater
power in determining who will be licensed to trade
with Indian tribes. It also prohibits the use of alco-
hol during trade negotiations.
To help officials enforce regulations on Indian
trade, the law also defines the borders of “Indian
Country.” According to its terms, Indian Coun-
try includes all U.S. lands west of the Mississippi
and any area east of the river that is not part of a
state and has not been officially ceded to the U.S.
government.
In another important provision, the act gives
the War Department the authority to use military
force to end wars between Indian groups. This mea-
sure effectively reverses the previous U.S. policy of
noninterference in conflicts among Indians.1835The Shawnee begin publishing the
Shawnee Sun.
The second Indian-operated newspaper (see entry
for FEBRUARY 21, 1828), the Shawnee Sun, also
called Siwinowe Kesibi, is published in what is now
Kansas. Under the editorship of Johnston Lykins,
the monthly periodical is printed in Shawnee using
the English alphabet, making it the first newspaper
published entirely in an Indian language.