Introduction to Indian Country

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Introduction toIndian Country
Dr. Zoltan Grossman Faculty member in Geography
Native American Studies, The Evergreen State
College, Olympia, Washingtonhttp//academic.everg
reen.edu/g/grossmaz
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Studying Native History/Geography

• Not only about racial conflict, but the
  colonization of nations
• Not only about the U.S. government, but the
  origins of the United States
• Not only about federal/state policies, but the
  land base where they occur
• Not only looks at political/economic, but at
  European cultural underpinnings

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No Indiansbefore 1492
There goes the neighborhood
Diversity in Tribes/bands Languages Governments
Cultures Spiritual beliefs Resource use Land
control
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Pros Cons of Terms
Aboriginal First Nations 4th World
American Indian or Indian Native American or
Native Tribal Indigenous Nation names
Amerindian Autochthonous
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Native Americans

• Racial category?
• (minority)
• Ethno-cultural groups
• Economic status
• Groups with a land base
• Autonomous nations

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Tribal Diversity
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CulturalAreas
Arctic Subarctic Northwest Coast Plateau Great
Basin California Plains Southwest Southeast Northe
ast
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xxxxx
Western U.S.language groups
Salish
Algonquian
Penutian
Siouan
Athaba- scan

• Algonquian
• Siouan
• Caddoan
• Aztec-Tanoan
• Athabascan (Southern)
• Salish
• Penutian
• Hokan
• Keres

Siouan
Hokan
Caddoan
Aztec- Tanoan
Penutian
Algonquian
Athabascan
Aztec- Tanoan
Hokan
Keres
Aztec- Tanoan
Caddoan
Athabascan
Hokan
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xxxxx
Canadalanguagegroups
Inuit
Dené

• Algonquian
• Dené
• (Athabascan)
• Inuit
• Siouan
• Iroquoian
• Salish
• Wakashan
• Tsimshian
• Kootenai

Inuit
Dené
Inuit
Dené
Inuit
Inuit
Dené
Waka- shan
Algonquian
Algonquian
Salish
Siouan
Algonquian
Algonquian
Iroquoian
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NATION
Ethnic group with a common

• Language
• Identity / customs
• History
• Territory

Treaties recognized tribes as nations
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Nations have a common

• Past in a homeland
• Present identification
• Future viability

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STATE
A legal / political entity with

• Authority / power to govern
• Outside recognition
• Defined territory / boundaries
• A few Native nations have more land
• or population than some UN member states

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(No Transcript)
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Native Land Losses
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Percentages by County
Reservations
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Urban Population
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Pendulum of Indian policy

• Cycles of binary thinking
• (good or bad Indian)
• Policy swings between
• Autonomy and Assimilation
• Policies intended to assimilate
• often backfired on govt

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Autonomy model(Self-determination)

• Cultural Traditions, identity, language
  protected
• Political Limited self-rule
• bilateralism of federal
  Indian govts
• Economic Increased self-sufficiency
• Geographic Control/jurisdiction of tribal
  territory

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Assimilation model (Detribalization)

• Cultural Loss of traditions more
  Christian/white
• Political Only U.S. citizenship under
  state/counties
• unilateralism of
  federal govt
• Economic Dependency only farmers or workers
• Geographic Tribal loss of control Private
  ownership

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Pendulum of Federal Indian Policy
Era Policy trend Global trend 1880s-1920s
Assimilation Imperialism/racism 1930s-1940s
Autonomy Economic reform 1950s-early 60s
Assimilation Cold War/individualism 1970s-early
90s Autonomy Civil rights/liberation Late
1990s-2000s Assimilation? Anti-multiculturalism

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xxxx
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• Ancestors lived in America,
• before the arrival of Europeans.
• Who is considered to be
• an Indian by the community.
• Who self-defines as an Indian.
• Federal court decisions have
• shifted definitions over time

Who is an Indian?
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Blood Quantum( of tribal ancestry)

• Pushed by federal Bureau
• of Indian Affairs (1/4)
• Tribal govts set today
• (often internalized)
• Intermarriage can
• fractionalize tribe

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Racial Complexities

• Native Americans can appear white, black, etc.
• Multiracial
• tribal nations
• Seminole, Lumbee, etc.
• Mixed categories
• Métis (French),
• Mestizo (Spanish), etc.

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Who is an Indian?
Categories Defined by. What
about RACIAL Blood Quantum (biology) Mixed
bloods, Assimilated CULTURAL Tribally
raised/accepted Adopted Indians, White
wannabes GEOGRAPHICAL Reservation residents
Urban Indians, Rez whites
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Racial composition is not always dispositive in
determining who are Indians for the purposes of
Indian law. In dealing with Indians, the federal
government is dealing with members or descendants
of political entities, that is, Indian tribes,
not with persons of a particular race. Tribal
membership as determined by the Indian tribe or
community itself is often an essential
element. Handbook of Federal Indian Law
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Top 10 Things to Say to a White Person Upon First
Meeting

• 10. How much white are you?
• 9. Im part white myself, you know.
• 8. I learned all your peoples ways in the Boy
  Scouts.
• My great-great-grandmother was a full-blooded
  white-
• American princess.
• 6. Funny, you dont look white.
• 5. Wheres your powdered wig and knickers?
• 4. Do you live in a covered wagon?
• 3. Whats the meaning behind the square dance?
• 2. Whats your feeling about river-boat casinos?
  Do they
• really help your people, or are they just
  a short-term fix?
• 1. Oh wow, I really love your hair! Can I
  touch it?