Chronology of American Indian History

officials lured Indians to cities with promises of better jobs and housing, but

many relocatees, with little education or job training, were unable to find ei-

ther. Many young urban Indians, disgruntled with their situation and eager

to reestablish their roots to their tribes, later became active in the Red Power

Movement.

Removal Federal Indian policy, inaugurated by the Indian Removal Act of

1830, that sought to extinguish Indian claims to lands in the East (particularly

the Southeast) by treaty and then compel eastern groups to relocate to lands

west of the Mississippi River.

repatriation The return of Indian remains and Indian-made objects in the

collections of museums and individuals to their tribes of origin. Long a goal

of Indian activists, repatriation became national policy with the passage of the

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990. This act

required all federal agencies to repatriate Indian bones and artifacts and added

legal protection to Indian burial sites.

reservation A tract of land set aside by the U.S. government for the exclusive

use of a specific Indian group. In Canada, reservations are known as reserves.

Self-determination Federal Indian policy inaugurated in the 1970s that

sought to give Indians more control over their political and economic affairs

and promoted increased Indian involvement in government-operated pro-

grams intended to improve their standard of living. Most fully articulated in

the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, the policy

was a departure from the Termination and Relocation programs, which had

sought to end tribalism and eliminate Indians’ special status under the law.

Sun Dance A religious ceremony traditionally performed by Indians

throughout the Great Plains. Although its rites varied from tribe to tribe, the

Sun Dance often featured purification in a sweat lodge, fasting, and dancing

before a sacred pole. Often sensationalized by non-Indians, missionaries and

reservation agents attempted to suppress the Sun Dance in the late 19th and

early 20th centuries.

Termination Federal Indian policy, implemented by House Concurrent

Resolution 108 in 1953, that sought to dissolve the tribal status of Indian

groups deemed affluent enough to withstand the loss of their special protec-

tions as wards of the U.S. government. For most terminated tribes, the policy

proved to be an economic disaster. The federal government formally repealed

the Termination policy in 1988.

Trail of Tears The grueling journey from the Cherokee’s southeastern

homeland to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) that was made by some

Chronology of American Indian History