U.S. Federal Indian Policies during the 19th-20th Century
HSS 11.11, HSS 11.11.6This lesson introduces students to some of the most significant Federal Indian policies in the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th century. The lesson focuses on three eras of Federal Indian law; the removal and reservation era, the assimilation era, and the limited tribal self-rule era. This brief lesson spans 120+ years of Federal Indian law and is intended to introduce students to key concepts related to the complex legal relationship between Native American nations and the United States. The lesson consists of a lecture about the historical context of the law, a chronological timeline of the laws and policies presented, a video, and an in-class word matching activity designed to help students study the contents of the lesson. The teacher must understand that the law is not a neutral entity for Native people nor anyone else and that the passage of time has not lessened the impact of these laws on Native peoples’ lives. While many Native people study law in order to mitigate the harms of Federal Indian policies, the law has always been a tool of settler-colonialism when wielded by the U.S. The teacher must be prepared to actively engage students in a complex and difficult discussion about the legislative function of the U.S. settler state. Essential Questions: Who is most detrimentally impacted by Federal Indian policies? What are some of these impacts? How can we understand Federal Indian policies differently and interpret the law as a function of U.S. settler-colonialism? What is at stake for Native American people in terms of Federal Indian policy?
