Indian Reorganization Act

Since the arrival of white settlers the Natives lost not only their lands, but their identities, culture, beliefs, and freedom. In 1928, the Institute for Government Research, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, organized a team to gather information and report the conditions of the natives across the country, this become known as the Meriam Report (Galloway 2012). The realities of the laws and policies enacted by Congress, such as the Dawes act, showed how horrific the Natives lives had become. The report paved the way for Indian reform and promoted social and economic advancement for the Indians (Indian Reorganization Act n.d). In 1934, Congress enacted the “Indian New Deal Act” also known as the “Indian Reorganization Act” (IRA) or the Wheeler-Howard Act. President Roosevelt appointed John Collier as commissioner of the Bureau of Indian affairs. Collier was a known advocate of Indian rights, and was often considered very zealous. The goals of this new deal were to rejuvenate the Natives lives. While there were many goals, three main ones were prominent; “(1) economic development of the tribes, (2) organization of tribal governments, and (3) Indian civil and cultural rights” (Ojibwa n.d). Even though the legislation had good intentions, it was only partial …show more content…
Native lands that had been considered surplus, and that had not been sold, were returned. Indians regained millions of acres of land. Tribes that accepted the IRA were able to establish their own constitutions that were tailored to their tribe’s specific needs. Collier was able to funnel funding from various other programs to the benefit of Indians. Revolving credit was established for Indians to purchase lands which expanded the sizes of reservation. It also helped the Indians improve their economic position, and allowed for better staffing for things such as educational needs and hospitals (Indian Reorganization Act