Main Street Oklahoma Chapter Nine Summary

In chapter nine of Main Street Oklahoma: Stories of twentieth Century America, the chapter explains the many economic efforts that were put in to assisting the Five Tribes during the Great Depression. The Office of Indian Affairs implemented many programs designed to assist and provide jobs to Native American men and women, but the Office of Indian Affairs ended up not adequately addressing the needs of Native Americans under while under their control, but it also showed the poor and serious conditions that was prevalent among the Five Tribes in Oklahoma (pg. 175). There were many New Deal programs and agencies that were created in order to help out the Five Tribes. However, many of the programs and agencies did not prove to be too successful. New Deal agencies such as Public Works Administration (PWA), the Civil Works Administration (CWA), and the Indian Emergency Conservation Work (IECW) programs gave the best opportunities of employment for the Five Tribes, such as in 1934, the PWA gave one-hundred thousand dollars to the Five Tribes Agency for Indian road work. This project provided income for Native Americans in need, and roads and bridges were built and designed to benefit Indian communities (pg. 176). …show more content…
The WPA-sponsored Federal Art project employed members of the Five Tribes as artists. To benefit the Indian women as well, the WPA created sewing rooms of varying sizes and employed many Indian women. This project allowed them to earn additional income for their families and at the same time make clothes for those in need. The Household Demonstration Project trained Indian women in household tasks for employment in urban households; training included food preparation, ironing, washing, and other duties inside the home (pg.