During the nineteenth century, the federal government forced many natives to move from their ancestral homes to remote territories in the central and western United States. Also during that century, the United States opened off reservation boarding schools for native youth. The first of those institutes was the Carlisle Indian Industrial School,…

Traces the efforts of seven landless tribes in western Washington to maintain their tribal identity, establish their treaty rights in court, secure allotments of land, and achieve federal recognition of their tribal status. The absence of trust land holdings among these tribes is the federal government's justification for nonrecognition. (SV)

A review of 1980 U.S. census figures indicates that there are 6.7 million Americans who claim American Indian ancestry, compared with 1.4 million who checked "American Indian" as their race. Responses on other sections of the 1980 census indicate different American Indian population totals. For the purposes of this report, the highest…

The relationship between Native Americans and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is ambivalent. Most BIA commissioners, like Dillon Myer, have been assimilationists who have tried to get the government "out of Indian business." Recent policies stressing self-determination are in jeopardy as pressure mounts for decreased federal domestic…

Examines circumstances of Californian Indians' unacknowledged and terminated tribes, the legal history and current status of their claims, and cultural and economic problems facing many tribes. Recommends a study of California Indian conditions leading to appropriate comprehensive federal legislation. Includes lists of restoration and…

When used in the 1950s primarily as an alternative to reservation economic development, relocation failed to achieve its intended goals. It failed to reduce federal commitment to Indian welfare, promote cultural assimilation, or improve the economic status of Indians. Indians with existing job skills and off-reservation experience--the most…

The devastation caused by unemployment among the nation's approximately 2 million American Indians is great. Analysis of January 1985 state unemployment rates reveals an enormous disparity between average state rates and the rates for the state American Indian populations. While the official unemployment rate in 28 states ranged from 5.8% to…

The Select Committee on Indian Affairs met on June 30, 1980, for an oversight hearing on the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 to correct flaws and straighten out problems concerning Public Law 95-608 and the way it is implemented. Various members of the administration and a group of Indian leaders from across the country attended the hearing, at…

The needs of American Indian education are many and complex. Basic education needs to be expanded into areas such as gifted and talented, computer education, handicapped education, more diverse vocational programs, adult education, and directed research/dissemination. Efforts should be made to accredit Indian Studies programs, establish a…

An oversight hearing on the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was conducted to assess how well the program is running, what improvements can be made in the administration of the program, and whether any modification of the original legislation is necessary. Thirty-one members of the administration and Indian leaders from across the country…

On June 14, 1979, an open joint hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs received testimony from the administration, members of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, and other interested parties on S. 688 and H.R. 2882. These bills would waive the statute of limitations in…

This report is an assessment of health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives who are eligible for medical and health-related services from the federal government. Chapters outline Federal-Indian relationships; provide demographic and economic information on the Indian population; trace current health status, changing health problems, and…

The Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs met on March 5, 1975, to organize and select officers and members of the American Indian Policy Review Commission. Senator James Abourzek was elected chairman and Representative Lloyd Meeds was elected vice chairman. Rules of procedure were tentatively adopted. Mr. Ernie Stevens was then selected as…

The American Indian Policy Review Commission met on November 19, 1976, and began the session with a recital of broad goals developed by the staff from recommendations received from the task forces. Goals were stated as follows: reaffirming the commitment on tribal sovereignty and strengthening of tribal governments; affirming the permanency of…

The concepts of sovereignty and trust form the core of the American Indian Policy Review Commission's final report. The commission's responsibility, derived from PL 93-580, was to conduct a comprehensive review of historical/legal developments underlying the Indian/federal government relationship and to recommend necessary policy revisions. After…