Long Term Results

  Document 1

Old Town, Maine,
Robert Grady, interviewer,
circa 1938-1939.
American Life Histories, 1936-1940

On June 2, 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. The right to vote, however, was governed by state law; until 1957, some states barred Native Americans from voting. In a WPA interview from the 1930s, Henry Mitchell describes the attitude toward Native Americans in Maine, one of the last states to comply with the Indian Citizenship Act:

‘One of the Indians went over to Old Town once to see some official in the city hall about voting. I don't know just what position that official had over there, but he said to the Indian, 'We don't want you people over here. You have your own elections over on the island, and if you want to vote, go over there.'

This shows the continuing discrimination of Native Americans by white Americans. Despite the Dawes Act being repealed, and the Miriam Report revealing it’s failure. White Americans continued to discriminate against Native Americans, hindering their growth in the American society and opportunities to recover from the injustices of the Dawes Act. 

"Indian Citizenship Act." The Library of Congress. 30 May 2007. 27 May 2009 https://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun02.html.

Document 2

https://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200511/05-5068a.pdf

Corbell v. Norton was filed in 1996. In this case, the plaintiffs charge that “the United States has mismanaged individual Indian moneys and cannot provide a proper accounting of the funds”. This case stems back to the Dawes Act where, even after it’s repeal, white Americans continued to profit off Native American lands which are generating revenue by their lease and sale.

"Corbell v. Norton." United States Court of Appeals. 15 Nov. 2005. 27 May 2009 https://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200511/05-5068a.pdf.

Document 3

Greenwald, Emily. "Dawes Severalty Act." Book Rags. 27 May 2009 <https://www.bookrags.com/research/dawes-severalty-act-aaw-02/>.

This protest, in Oklahoma City, in 2008, shows the continued anger towards land stolen from Native Americans by laws like the Dawes Act. This parade was sponsored by the Society to Preserve the Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Traditions (S.P.I.R.I.T.). Its goal was to raise awareness of the incorrect information in Oklahoma history textbooks pertaining to the theft of Indian land. Native Americans today continue to feel uncompensated for what has been taken from them in various acts and redistributions of land. Native Americans continue to speak out and take action towards improving their land ownership and righting the wrongs that have been done to them.

Francis, Mark. "The Oklahoma Land Steal?." Reznet. 9 Apr. 2008. 28 May 2009 <https://www.reznetnews.org/article/oklahoma-land-steal-11670>.