A bit of American history


Native Americans current status

There are 563 Federally recognized tribalAmerican population. A law passed by the
governments in the United States. The Unitedstate's General Assembly recognized only two
States recognizes the right of these tribesraces, "white" and "colored". Plecker
to self-government and supports their tribalpressured local governments into
sovereignty and self-determination. Thesereclassifying all Native Americans in the
tribes possess the right to form their ownstate as "colored", leading to the
government, to enforce laws (both civil anddestruction of records on the state's Native
criminal), to tax, to establish membership,American  community.
to license and regulate activities, to zone
and to exclude persons from tribalMaryland also has a non-recognized tribal
territories. Limitations on tribal powers ofnation — the Piscataway Indian Nation.
self-government include the same limitations
applicable to states; for example, neitherIn order to receive federal recognition and
tribes nor states have the power to make war,the benefits it confers, tribes must prove
engage  in  foreign relations, or coin money.their continuous existence since 1900. The
federal government has so far refused to bend
According to 2003 United States Census Bureauon this bureaucratic requirement.[20] A bill
estimates, a little over one third of thecurrently before U.S. Congress to ease this
2,786,652 Native Americans in the Unitedrequirement has been favorably reported out
States live in three states: California atof a key Senate committee, being supported by
413,382, Arizona at 294,137 and Oklahoma atboth of Virginia's senators, George Allen and
279,559.John Warner, but faces opposition in the
House from Representative Virgil Goode, who
As of 2000, the largest tribes in the U.S. byhas expressed concerns that federal
population were Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw,recognition could open the door to gambling
Sioux, Chippewa, Apache, Lumbee, Blackfeet,in  the  state.
Iroquois, and Pueblo. In 2000, eight of ten
Americans with Native American ancestry wereIn the early 21st century, Native American
of mixed blood. It is estimated that by 2100communities remain an enduring fixture on the
that figure will rise to nine of ten.[14] InUnited States landscape, in the American
addition, there are a number of tribes thateconomy, and in the lives of Native
are recognized by individual states, but notAmericans. Communities have consistently
by the federal government. The rights andformed governments that administer services
benefits associated with state recognitionlike firefighting, natural resource
vary  from  state  to  state.management, and law enforcement. Most Native
American communities have established court
Then there are Tribal Nations that have beensystems to adjudicate matters related to
denied recognition such as the Muwekma Ohlonelocal ordinances, and most also look to
and the Miami tribe of Indiana. Many of thevarious forms of moral and social authority
smaller eastern tribes have been trying tovested in traditional affiliations within the
gain official recognition of their tribalcommunity. To address the housing needs of
status. The recognition confers someNative Americans, Congress passed the Native
benefits, including the right to label artsAmerican Housing and Self Determination Act
and crafts as Native American and permission(NAHASDA) in 1996. This legislation replaced
to apply for grants that are specificallypublic housing, and other 1937 Housing Act
reserved for Native Americans. But gainingprograms directed towards Indian Housing
recognition as a tribe is extremely difficultAuthorities, with a block grant program
because of a Catch-22 in the process. To bedirected  towards  Tribes.
established as a tribal group, members have
to submit extensive genealogical proof ofGambling has become a leading industry.
tribal descent, yet in past years many NativeCasinos operated by many Native American
Americans denied their Native Americangovernments in the United States are creating
heritage, because it would have deprived thema stream of gambling revenue that some
of many rights, such as the right of probate.communities are beginning to use as leverage
to build diversified economies. Native
Military defeat, cultural pressure,American communities have waged and prevailed
confinement on reservations, forced culturalin legal battles to assure recognition of
assimilation, outlawing of native languagesrights to self-determination and to use of
and culture, termination policies of thenatural resources. Some of those rights,
1950s and 1960s and earlier, slavery, andknown as treaty rights are enumerated in
poverty have had deleterious effects onearly treaties signed with the young United
Native Americans' mental and physical health.States government. Tribal sovereignty has
Contemporary health problems sufferedbecome a cornerstone of American
disproportionately include alcoholism, heartjurisprudence, and at least on the surface,
disease,  diabetes,  and  New World Syndrome.in national legislative policies. Although
many Native American tribes have casinos,
As recently as the 1970s, the Bureau ofthey are a source of conflict. Most tribes,
Indian Affairs was still actively pursuing aespecially small ones such as the Winnemem
policy of "assimilation", dating at least toWintu of Redding, California, feel that
the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. The goalcasinos and their proceeds destroy culture
of assimilation — plainly stated earlyfrom the inside out. These tribes refuse to
on — was to eliminate the reservationsparticipate  in  the  gaming  industry.
and steer Native Americans into mainstream
U.S. culture. In July 2000 the WashingtonOn May 19, 2005, the Massachusetts
state GOP adopted a resolution oflegislature finally repealed a disused 330
"termination" for tribal governments. As ofyear-old law that barred Native Americans
2004, there are still claims of theft offrom  entering  Boston.
Native American land for the coal and uranium
it  contains.In August 2005, the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) banned the use of
In the state of Virginia, Native Americans"hostile and abusive" Native American mascots
face a unique problem. Virginia has nofrom postseason tournaments. The use of
federally recognized tribes, largely due toNative American themed team names in U.S.
Walter Ashby Plecker. In 1912, Plecker becameprofessional sports is widespread and often
the first registrar of the state's Bureau ofcontroversial, with examples such as Chief
Vital Statistics, serving until 1946. PleckerWahoo of the Cleveland Indians and the
believed that the state's Native AmericansWashington Redskins.
had been "mongrelized" with its African



1 A B C 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94