How did the Indian Appropriations Act of 1871 formalize the government’s assimilation policy? Choose three answers.

Question

It stripped tribes of their rights as independent nations.
It built schools for Indigenous youth.
It enabled the United States to sign new treaties with the tribes.
It gave Indigenous people the right to pursue their traditions.
It designated Indigenous people as dependent wards of the government.

Answer 1

The Indian Appropriations Act of 1871 formalized the government's assimilation policy in the following ways:

1. It stripped tribes of their rights as independent nations. - The Act declared that Native American tribes would no longer be recognized as independent nations, effectively removing their sovereignty and rights.

2. It designated Indigenous people as dependent wards of the government. - The Act classified Indigenous people as wards of the state, which meant that they were seen as dependent on the federal government for support and governance, further reinforcing the assimilation policy.

3. It built schools for Indigenous youth. - While not a direct provision of the Act itself, the era's policies often involved the establishment of schools aimed at assimilating Indigenous youth into Euro-American culture.

These points illustrate the broader intent of the government to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society by undermining their rights and independence.