Life on Reservations Flashcards

Indian Reservations Overview

• Indian reservations were established on land deemed undesirable by whites due to its lack of fertility.
• The government appointed Indian agents to oversee the affairs on these reservations.

Indian Agents and Corruption

• Indian agents were often corrupt, leading to significant mismanagement.
• Money and rations intended for the Native American communities frequently went missing due to agent malpractice.

Living Conditions on Reservations

• Rations provided to Native Americans were generally poor in quality.
• Agricultural efforts often failed, resulting in insufficient food supplies.
• Common diseases such as measles and influenza spread easily among the reservation populations.
• Access to medical care was severely lacking and deemed very poor.

Changes in Governance and Authority

• In 1871, Native American chiefs lost the ability to sign treaties with the government.
• By the early 1880s, authority over reservations shifted from chiefs to councils.
• Legal systems changed in 1883, with Indians judged in special courts until those courts were replaced by federal courts in 1885.

Education and Cultural Suppression

• Native children were educated in white American values, which led to cultural assimilation.
• Schools enforced punishments for speaking native languages and disrespected traditional cultural practices.
• Indigenous beliefs and practices were actively banned by the authorities.
• The government targeted traditional medicine men by prohibiting feasts, dances, and ceremonies.

Role of Missionaries

• Christian missionaries were sent to reservations with the goal of civilizing Native Americans.
• This mission was part of a broader effort to assimilate Native populations into European-American cultural norms.

Impact of Hunting Bans

• Native Americans were prohibited from hunting, stripping away traditional roles, particularly for men.
• The ban on hunting affected their clothing, lifestyle, and social structure by removing essential cultural practices.
• This restriction led to a loss of skills among Native Americans, who were originally skilled horsemen, hunters, and warriors.

Resistance to Assimilation

• Some Native Americans resisted learning European farming techniques and skills such as ploughing, sowing, and reaping.
• The inability to hunt buffalo or engage in traditional fighting arose from the absence of horses, further contributing to the de-skilling of these communities.