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"There is universal agreement that
Homo sapiens
sapiens occupied the Americas by 11,200 radiocarbon
years ago, over 13,000 years ago"
Source:
THE PALEOAMERICANS
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1000
Vikings first made contact with Native Americas |
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1492
Columbus first contacts Native Americans |
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1621 Indians and
Puritans met and celebrated the First
Thanksgiving |
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1637
Pequot War , the colonist fought for control of
Indian land
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1700s
French and Indian War,
King Philip's War,
King William's War, and
Queen Anne's War Native Americans took sides of both the
English and the French. |
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1776-1783
American Revolution "Many native communities were
divided over which side to support in the war. For the
Iroquois Confederacy, the American Revolution resulted
in civil war: The
Six Nations split with the
Oneidas and
Tuscaroras siding with the Americans and the other four
nations fighting for the British. While the Iroquois tried
to avoid fighting directly against one another, the
Revolution eventually forced Iroquois-to-Iroquois combat.
The defeated groups (as well as those who supported the
Americans) lost much of their land within the United States.
The Crown aided the landless Iroquois by rewarding them with
a
reservation at Grand River in Canada.
Cherokees split into a neutral (or pro-American) faction
and the anti-American faction that the Americans referred to
as the
Chickamaugas, led by
Dragging Canoe.
Many other communities were similarly divided."
Source:
Wikipedia |
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1819 Congress appropriates
$10,000 to "civilize" the Native Americans. |
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1824 The
Bureau of Indian
Affairs established in the War Department.
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1830
The Indian Removal Act
Congress
states that existing treaties did not constitute federal recognition of
Indian sovereign rights to the soil of their homelands. |
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1830 The State of Georgia declares
all Cherokee tribal office holders criminals and unilaterally extended
its laws over the Cherokee nation. |
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1830
The Indian Removal Act
Sets
aside land in Indian Territory for the "Five Civilized Tribes" Choctaw,
Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek and Seminole. |
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1830 The
"Trail of
Tears" moves
the Cherokee Nation west of the Mississippi into Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory.
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1832
Worcester vs. Georgia US
Supreme Court rules that treaties were the "Supreme law of the land" and
that Georgia's laws did not apply within the Cherokee nation. Georgia ignores
the ruling and the government fails to back up the decision.
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1832
Commissioner of Indian
Affairs established in the War Department. (See
Timeline) |
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1834
The Trade and
Intercourse Act prohibits the sale of intoxicants to Indians and establishes
the need of a license to travel in Indian land.
|
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1849 The Interior Department
gains control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. |
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1851
Fort Laramie Treaty
|
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1855-1858 The Tribes of
the Pacific Coast forced onto reservations by the military.
|
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1862
Abraham Lincoln
commutes
the death sentences of 300 Santee Sioux suspected of taking part in the
Minnesota uprising. Thirty eight were hanged however making it the
largest hanging in US history.
|
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1866
"Five Civilized Tribes"
were forced to give up the western part of their territory to the US for
the use of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Wichita, Comanche,
and Osage.
|
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1870
President Grant
starts Peace
Policy. Money was earmarked for federal education of the Indians,
however corruption and graft took much of the money.
|
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1871 Congress rules that the
tribes were no longer independent nations and treaties could no longer
be negotiated. |
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1874 Executive order sets aside
the Leech Lake Reservation. |
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1878 The first funds for
Indian police established by Congress. |
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1883 US Supreme Court rules that
an American Indian is by birth an "alien" and is thus dependent on
the government. |
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1887
Dawes Act , General Allotment
Act divides up tribal land into units of 40-160 acres per Indian. The remaining
land was sold to white settlers.
|
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1892-1897 Indian children
forced to attend white schools. |
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1892 Executive order sets aside
the lands for Red Lake Reservation. |
|
1893
Dawes Commission
established to settle the
problems with the
"Five Civilized Tribes" over the break
up of the Indian land holdings. |
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1898
Curtis Act
Puts Indians
under US laws and courts. |
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1899 Western Indian Territory
open to white settlers. |
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1906 Merger of Oklahoma and the
Indian Territory. |
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1906
Theodore Roosevelt
establishes the Taos Forest Reserve and thus the Pueblos lose the
Sacred Blue Lake.
|
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1907 Oklahoma made a state and
the Indian Territory no longer exists. |
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1922 The Benson Bill proposed.
It would have given European American squatters rights on Pueblo land.
As a result of public resistance the Pueblo Land Board was established
to supply a fair method of resolution. |
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1924 Indians made citizens.
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1934
Johnson-O'Malley Act passed.
Congress sets up a method to coordinate state and federal agricultural,
education, health care and welfare programs.
|
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1934
Indian Reorganization Act
sets up credit fund for Indian land purchases and restored tribal ownership
of reservation land.
|
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1934 AD
Wheeler-Howard Act
protects
Native American Culture.
|
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1944 AD National Congress of
American Indians established to give Indians a voice in Indian affairs.
|
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1946 AD Indian Claims Commission
established to oversee claims against the US by the Native Americans.
|
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1953 AD Termination Policy Congress
propose to end federal support and protection of certain reservation Indians.
Abandoned under growing Indian resistance. |
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1953 AD The Passamaquoddy, Penobscot,
Wampanoag tribes file court claims to land taken by white settlers.
|
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1964 AD The Sioux of North Dakota
gain the right to police their own reservation. |
|
1969 AD A Senate subcommittee
reports on the poor education being offered to Indian children. Recommends
that the Indians have a say in running the schools. |
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1970 AD The Bureau of Indian
Affairs reorganized to bring decision making authority to the tribes.
|
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1975 AD In the Indian self-determination
and
Education Assistance Act Congress gives Alaskan natives a chance to
make important decisions affecting their tribes. |
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1979 AD
The American Indian
Religious Freedom Act passes.
|
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1978 AD US Claims Court takes
over claims made by Native Americans against the US Government.
|
|
1980 AD Supreme Court Orders
the US government to pay $122.5 million to the Sioux Indians in payment
for land illegally taken in South Dakota in 1877. |
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1982 AD Supreme Court supports
a tax levied by the Jicarilla Apaches in New Mexico in 1976. The tribes
can now tax the production of oil, natural gas and other minerals on reservations.
|
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1990 AD President Bush signs
the bill protecting the Native American grave sites. |
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2001-2005
AD
The Native Americans were used by Jack Abramoff, other lobbyist and
politicians to advance their own political agendas. Additional information can
be found at
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying
scandal - Wikipedia |
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December 8 2009 AD
The government agreed to pay $1.4
billion to a group of American Indians as a result of the
mismanagement of Native American land going back to the
Dawes Act 1877
. The agreement is subject to
Congressional and Federal Court approval. |
|
October 19, 2010
"The Obama administration announced a
$760 million settlement
Tuesday to resolve charges by thousands of Native American
farmers and ranchers who say that for decades the
Agriculture Department discriminated against them in loan
programs."
Source:
Washington Post (October 19, 2010) |
November 19, 2010
Congress approves a payment of
$4.5 billion to both Native Americans and African Americans
(Native Americans will get $3.4 billion African Americans
will get $1.14 billion) to settle the Agriculture Department
land dispute discrimination case. ( Barack Obama signed the
law shortly thereafter.
Source:
Washington Post (November 20, 2010) |
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