Page 9 - 2006 DT 12 Issues

I n T h i s I s s u e

Featured Article
Bureau of Indian Affairs....................1

Special
Quiz....................................................6

Departments
News & Notes....................................2
February 2006 Programs & Hikes..............................4
Desk Schedule...................................6
Bulletin Board...................................8

THE BUREAU OF the fledgling nation in many areas, Initially, Indian agents often
particularly the negotiation of treaties. lived on Indian lands and found
INDIAN AFFAIRS The colonists needed Indian allies, or themselves sharing and understanding
A bad record finally being set right. at least neutrality, in the coming war their lifestyle and culture. Many were

by Chuck Kleber with Britain. In 1778, Congress made genuinely sympathetic when President
its first treaty with the Delaware tribe. Andrew Jackson signed the notorious
he Indian Memorial at the Indian rights were affirmed when “Indian Removal Act” of 1830 that
Battle of the Little Bighorn in the United States Constitution was forced eastern tribes from their ances-
TMontana carries a powerful established, but what followed was tral homes into an alien environment
message from Crazy Horse, the Sioux decades of corruption, broken treaties, west of the Mississippi. The Cherokee
chief who led the Sioux and Northern open warfare and,
Cheyenne warriors in wiping out Gen- in general, a callous
eral George Armstrong Custer and five disregard for one
troops of the 7 Cavalry in the epic tribe after another.
th
1876 battle: In 1824, the
“The Great Spirit gave us this Bureau of Indian Granger Collection, New York
country as a home. You had yours. Affairs (BIA) was
We did not interfere with you. The established under
Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to the jurisdiction of
live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope the War Department
and other game. But you have come by Secretary of War,
here; you are taking my land from John C.Calhoun.
me; you are killing off our game so
it is hard for us to live. You say, why Thomas L. McKen-
do you not become civilized? We ney, who had been Trail of Tears, Robert Lindneux 1942
do not want your civilization! We supervising Indian
would live as our fathers did, and matters, was appointed to head the “Trail of Tears” is a poignant example.
their fathers before them …” BIA. He exhibited a genuine concern There was tragic loss of life, but to
In that message lies the funda- for dealing fairly with the Indians in Jackson the tribes were little more
mental problem that resulted in four heading a small staff in Washington than an impediment to expansionist
hundred years of conflict between the D.C. that directed close to 100 field dreams. This rationale was made easier
white settlers and the native Ameri- service men. They included super- by the diminished need for Indian al-
can tribes. In an effort to address this intendents, agents, interpreters and lies against European powers. Britain
conflict, one of the first acts by the people skilled in areas like agriculture had been defeated in the War of 1812,
Continental Congress was to create a and the blacksmith trade. These BIA Spain was in sharp decline and France
department of Indian affairs in 1775. representatives became involved in a had sold the enormous “Louisiana
In theory, it was a wise and far-sighted host of activities, extending beyond Purchase” landmass to the United
act, for relations with the Indian trade and treaties. Some even acted as
tribes were a paramount concern to social counselors. Indian Affairs, continued on p.7