P
used by potters, basketmakers, and other traditional
Indian artisans. Through her teaching and her own
art, DeCora will pioneer the integration of Indian
and non-Indian art traditions and promote the aca-
demic study of Native American art.
May 8
The Burke Act amends the U.S. Allotment
policy.
In response to perceived weaknesses of the General
Allotment Act (see entry for FEBRUARY 8, 1887),
Congress passes the Burke Act. The legislation gives
control of Indian allotments held in trust to the fed-
eral government rather than to state governments.
It also allows the president to extend the period in
which allotments are held in trust (originally 25
years) if their Indian owners are deemed incompe-
tent to handle their own affairs. Conversely, it gives
the secretary of the interior the power to reduce the
trust period for Indians who are considered able to
take on the full responsibility of land ownership.
Lastly, the Burke Act withholds citizenship from
Indian landowners until the end of the trust period,
rather than granting this right with each allotment.
The law is intended to protect incompetent (by
which the government usually means unassimilated)
Indians from being swindled by white land specula-
tors, while giving competent (that is, assimilated)
Indians the opportunity to lease or sell their land if
they choose. In fact, the reduction of the trust period
will, in most cases, leave Indians landless, often after
being defrauded by unscrupulous white businessmen.
May 17
The Alaska Allotment Act is passed.
The Alaska Allotment Act extends the provisions of
the General Allotment Act (see entry for FEBRUARY 8,
1887) to Indian lands in Alaska. The government will
not put the act into effect, however, because there
is little pressure from non-Indians to do so. The In-
dian-held territory in Alaska is so barren that few
non-Indians have an interest in buying the surplus
land that would be left over after allotment.
June 8Congress passes the Antiquities Act.
Designed in part to prevent the wholesale looting
of Indian archaeological sites, the Act for the
Preservation of American Antiquities outlaws the
appropriation or destruction of ancient ruins and
artifacts found on federally owned lands. The law
also authorizes the issuing of permits to conduct ex-
cavations on these sites by qualified archaeological
researchers.September 6Hopi progressives drive traditionalists out
of Oraibi.
A church and non-Indian-run school established
by whites near the Hopi village of Oraibi (see entry
for CA. 1150) splits the village population into two“Thereupon, the Friendlies set
about clearing the village of
Shungopovis. They began at the
very spot where they stood; but
every Friendly who laid hold of
a Shungopovi to put him out of
doors was attacked from behind
by an Oraibi Hostile, so that the
three went wrestling and strug-
gling out of the door together.
There was great commotion as
the Friendlies carried out the
Hostiles, pushing and pulling,
the Hostiles resisting, struggling,
kicking, and pull the hair of their
adversaries.”
—Hopi Helen Sekaquaptewa on
the 1906 battle between Hopi
traditionalists and progressives
at the village of Oraibi