Question

How do you evaluate the impact of the Dawes Act on Native Americans in the West?

Answer 1

Hello!

Answer: The Dawes Act of 1987 gave power to president of US to further divide the tribal lands holding by native American Indians and allotment of piece of land to every family head and individual. Land left after allotment was sold to non natives.Only the ones who accepted the allotment were allowed to become US Citizens. Almost 90 million acres of tribal land was stripped from native American Indians and given to no natives.

The impact of Dawes Act 1987 on Native Americans:

• They loat their identity as only the native American Indians who were meeting the criteria of"fullblood" or " mixed blood" were given allotment of land and other native American Indians were just left detribalised.
• Over 90 million acres of land they lost to non natives. The objective of this act was to get the native American Indians land.
• They were forced to adopt European American culture and there own cultural practices were illegalized.
• Only the native American Indians who will be found competent would get the full control of their allotted land. And the criteria for this "competency" wasn't clear. So their sovereignty was reduced.
• Problem of fractionation arised as the original owners die their future generations get undivided interest in land. And when one land has more than 10 owners its value come close to 0.