Chronology of American Indian History

January

The Seneca demand payment from
non-Indians leasing their lands.
On behalf of the Seneca, the United States in United
States v. Forness brings suit against non-Indian les-
sees of Seneca land in Salamanca, New York, on the
Allegany Reservation. Many of the leaseholders are
long delinquent in payments, but more galling to
the Seneca are the financial provisions of the long-
term leases, which were negotiated by the U.S.
government in 1892. A white garage operator, for
instance, has not made payments to the Seneca for
11 years, but his back rent amounts to only $44.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York State finds
in favor of the Seneca and allows them to cancel the
unfair leases. (See also entry for AUTUMN 1991.)

March

Construction on the Alaska Highway begins.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins work on a
1,500-mile highway stretching from Dawson Creek,
British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska. Although the
project offers employment to some Alaskan Natives,
it has tragic consequences for many more, as epidem-
ics of non-Indian diseases previously unknown in
Alaska spread through Native communities. When
opened to unrestricted traffic in 1947, the highway
will also disrupt Native societies by making their
homelands easily accessible by whites.

April

The Marine Corps recruits Code Talkers on
the Navajo (Dineh) reservation.
At the suggestion of engineer Philip Johnston,
whose parents were missionaries to the Navajo
(Dineh), the marines decide to use the Navajo
language as the basis for a code for transmitting
sensitive information in the Pacific theater. Other
Indian languages—including Choctaw, Coman-
che, and Creek—had earlier been used as codes (see
entry for SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER 1918), but all
had been broken. The Navajo language, however, is

so complex that, Johnston maintains, a Navajo code

would be unbreakable.

To investigate the idea, Marine Corps recruit-

ers travel to the Navajo reservation and sign up 29

young Navajo men to develop and use the code.

The experiment proves so effective that the marines

soon expand the program, eventually training more

than 400 Navajo for the elite group.

May 8

A Japanese internment camp is constructed

on the Colorado River Reservation.

In February, President Franklin Roosevelt orders

the wartime internment of Japanese Americans.

One of the 10 internment camps built is located

on the Colorado River Reservation of the Mojave

and Chemehuevi. In exchange for not opposing the

presence of the camp, the U.S. government finances

land improvements and an irrigation system on the

reservation.

June

The Aleutian Islands are attacked by the

Japanese.

Japanese soldiers invade the Aleutian Islands and

attack the village of Annu. When Annu’s residents

are captured and taken to Japan, the U.S. Navy de-

cides to evacuate the Aleut’s villages on the Pribilof

Islands. The refugees are sent to live in abandoned

canneries, without heat, in southeastern Alaska for

the remainder of the war. With little food or medical

care, many of the Aleut, especially elders, fall victim

to disease. Living conditions are so wretched that a

group of Aleut women petitions the U.S. govern-

ment in October to move them elsewhere, but their

pleas are ignored. (See also entry for MAY 1944.)

June 11

The Iroquois declare war against the

Axis powers.

On the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington,

D.C., a delegation of six Iroquois leaders declares war