A Destructive Act
The U.S. government thought they were helping Native Americans. How did they think they were helping and what happened instead?
The U.S. government believed they were helping Native Americans through several policies and actions aimed at assimilation and modernization. The most notable efforts occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known as the Dawes Act and the Indian Boarding Schools.
Under the Dawes Act of 1887, the U.S. government intended to break up the communal landholdings of Native American tribes and allocate individual plots of land to members of these tribes. They believed that by encouraging private land ownership and transitioning Native Americans to an agricultural lifestyle, they would promote economic self-sufficiency and assimilate them into American society. The goal was to dismantle tribal reservations and integrate Native Americans into mainstream society as independent farmers.
However, the Dawes Act turned out to be disastrous for Native Americans. The policy led to the loss of vast amounts of tribal land. Significant portions were sold to non-Native American individuals or corporations, resulting in the dispossession of Native Americans from their ancestral territories. Additionally, the allocation of inadequate land plots, often unsuitable for farming, hindered their ability to maintain their traditional practices and sustain their communities.
Moreover, the forced assimilation of Native American children became another destructive practice. The U.S. government established Indian Boarding Schools, where Native American children were forcibly taken from their families and sent to these schools to learn English, adopt European-American customs, and abandon their cultural heritage. The intention was to "kill the Indian and save the man" by eradicating Native American cultural identity and forcibly assimilating them into American society.
However, the consequences of these boarding schools were devastating. They subjected Native American children to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as cultural traumas. Many children were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultural customs, resulting in a loss of cultural knowledge and disconnection from their communities and identities. The impact of this assimilation policy continues to reverberate within Native American communities today.
Overall, the U.S. government's efforts to help Native Americans by promoting assimilation and modernization turned out to be deeply destructive. The Dawes Act led to the loss of tribal lands and hindered their cultural practices, while Indian Boarding Schools inflicted immeasurable harm on Native American children by forcefully eradicating their heritage and cultural identities. These policies had long-lasting effects on Native American communities, contributing to the marginalization and ongoing struggles they face today.
O They believed they were helping Native Americans adapt to their ways, but the settlers actually become more like the Native Americans
Is it this one?
No, that interpretation is not accurate. The U.S. government's efforts were aimed at assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American society, not the other way around. The goal was to make Native Americans adopt European-American customs, language, and practices, not for settlers to become more like Native Americans. The policies implemented, such as the Dawes Act and Indian Boarding Schools, were designed to erase Native American culture and force them to conform to Western ideals.
They believed they were saving Native American culture, but they actually took Native American's land and ended their traditions and culture.
Is this one the correct one