American Indian Project
The history of the American Indian is in many ways an American tragedy. The good news, if there is any, is that the story of our Native Americans is far from being over. American government policy towards the over 500 Indian tribes that still exist in America today has been improving steadily since the 1930s, when John Collier, head of the Bureau of Indian affairs, began to make substantial reforms. Indian tribes in recent decades have taken their cases to state adn federal courts and have won more battles there than they ever did on the Great Plains. Indian nations now enjoy a sovereignty that ranks above that of the states, and they continue to make social, political, legal and economic progress. But the journey is far from over.
This project can cover any time period in modern American history. In the late 19th century saw the fighting of the last of what were known as the Indian wars. From Custer's last stand in 1876 to the bloody disaster at Wounded Knee in 1890 Indian tribes from Texas to Idaho and from the Mississippi to California struggled against the influx of settlers and fought with United States Army. Resources available for this project are numerous and include such entities as the National Museum of the American Indian, and many interesting and attractive web sites hosted by different Indian nations.
This project asks you to dig into the rich trove of material available for studying the history of Native Americans. Below are provided some links to web sites, some suggested readings, and documents which may aid you in your project. You should focus your attention in your essay on some of the following issues:
Some Native American Web Sites
Before you search for more, visit this University of Arizona Page on Indian web Sites. It has very useful information
Documents
Readings on Native American History
Project Page | History 122 Home | Updated June 14, 2005