Read The Following Blog Post By BrownCity: How The Dawes Act

Read The Following Blog Post By Browncity How The Dawes Act Devastat

Read the following blog post by browncity, "How the Dawes Act devastated Native Americans": to an external site., and visit the following website: to an external site. . In the upper left side of the screen (if on a computer; can also be done from a mobile phone), enter the address or city/state of the location in which you are completing this assignment. A map will appear to show the Indigenous territories and tribes who occupied the land. Take some time to review/learn more about those tribes using the following template: Hello Class, First, I have learned and acknowledge that I am writing to you from Jeaga land, what is now known as PB. Second, I read the blog post for this process it out assignment. I have to say my overall take away was _____________________. (Note, include examples that support your overall takeaway). Third, if I were asked to take a position against the Dawes Act today, I would use the following as rationale to support my position: _____________ (cite). 350 words

Paper For Above instruction

The Dawes Act of 1887 was a pivotal piece of legislation in the history of Native Americans and U.S. federal policy. It aimed to assimilate Indigenous peoples into American society by dividing communal tribal lands into individual allotments. However, this policy had devastating consequences for Native communities, stripping them of their communal lands, eroding cultural identities, and undermining traditional social structures. The blog post by browncity provides a detailed critique of this legislation, illustrating how the act contributed to widespread land loss, impoverishment, and the disruption of Native American ways of life.

One of the most significant impacts of the Dawes Act, as highlighted in browncity’s post, was the loss of tribal land. Native Americans initially held vast lands communally, which supported their social cohesion and cultural practices. However, the act resulted in the allotment of 160 acres per individual, with the surplus land being sold to non-Native settlers. This process drastically reduced the land base of Indigenous tribes; by 1934, Native Americans had lost approximately 90 million acres of tribal land (Calloway, 2011). This loss not only diminished their economic resources but also severed their spiritual and cultural ties to the land, which is central to their identity and traditions.

Moreover, the Dawes Act aimed to promote individual farming practices, which conflicted with the communal and often nomadic lifestyles of many tribes. This imposed a Euro-American model of land ownership that proved incompatible with many Indigenous cultures, further contributing to the erosion of their societal structures (Wilkins & Lomawaima, 2006). The disruption of social cohesion and cultural continuity had long-lasting effects, including the break-up of tribal governance systems and traditional ways of life.

From a contemporary perspective, one might argue against the Dawes Act on the basis of sovereignty and equitable land rights. Supporting this stance, scholars and Indigenous leaders emphasize that the policy was rooted in assimilationist ideals that disregarded Indigenous sovereignty and cultural sovereignty (Cornell & Kalt, 2000). The act paved the way for the loss of land and autonomy, which are fundamental to Indigenous self-determination. If I were to oppose the Dawes Act today, I would cite these points to argue that Indigenous communities should retain their land rights and cultural integrity free from imposed assimilation policies.

References

• Calloway, C. G. (2011). The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities. Cambridge University Press.
• Cornell, S., & Kalt, J. P. (2000). Reloading the Dice: Improving the Chances for Economic Development on Indian Reservations. Harvard American Indian Policy Review, 4(1), 56-74.
• Wilkins, D. E., & Lomawaima, K. T. (2006). Uneven Ground: American Indian Sovereignty and Federal Law. University of Oklahoma Press.
• Browncity. (n.d.). How the Dawes Act devastated Native Americans. [Blog post].