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By: Natasha Bitsui. Indian Country. Indian Country. Encompasses reservations It includes all land within the limits of an Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States government All dependent Indian communities
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By: Natasha Bitsui Indian Country
Indian Country • Encompasses reservations • It includes all land within the limits of an Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States government • All dependent Indian communities • All Indian allotments still in trust, whether they are located within reservations or not
Indian Country • Congress enacted the General Allotment Act of 1887 • Purposes of Dawes Act: • Break up tribal governments, abolish the reservations and to civilize the Native peoples • To accomplish this goal, congress decided to divide tribal lands into individual parcels, gives each tribal member a parcel, and sell the “surplus” parcels to non-Indian farmers.
Indian Country • Title to the land remained in the United States in trust for 25 years or longer if it was extended by the President • The trust period was suppose to protect the allottees from immediate state taxation and to allow an opportunity to learn farming • When the allotments were received the allottees became U.S. citizens and were subject to state criminal and civil law
Indian Country • The Dawes Act was believed to help the Indians but its effect on Indians and Indian land was catastrophic. • Most Indians did not want to abandon their culture • Because much of the lands that were allotted to the Indians were not suitable for small-scale farming, Indians had to sell their parcels to settlers or lost land in tax foreclosure
Indian Country • Three basic land holdings in Indian Country • Tribal trust lands=largest category of Indian land, are held in trust by the U.S. Government for the use of a tribe • Allotted trust lands=are held in trust for the use of individual Indians • Fee lands=are held by an owner, whether Indian or not
Indian Country • http://tribaljurisdiction.tripod.com/id7.html • Definitions of “Indian Country” (online reading)