Indian Reorganization with Shiloh Maples

During the Indian Reorganization Era, which took place between the late 1920s through the 1930s, the U.S. government began winding down its assimilation policies and made moves to reaffirm Tribal self-governance. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, also known as the Indian New Deal, had three main goals: strengthen Tribal self-governance, reconsolidate tribal lands, and promote economic development. The Indian Reorganization Act did emphasize the need to involve Native peoples when the federal government made policies affecting their communities and it provided some new opportunities for self-governance. However, oversight from the Bureau of Indian Affairs continued a long history of paternalism and left little room for Tribal governance based on cultural values and protocols. Few Native individuals or communities were able to become financially self-sustaining as a result of this “Indian New Deal.” In the present day, many have mixed positions and opinions of how well these goals were achieved/realized.

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