Native American Experience Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing the changes in the Native American experience over time.

Chief Joseph

Leader of the Nez Perce tribe in Idaho; fought against the loss of Native American lands and led his followers on a 75-day, 1300-mile march before surrendering.

Westward Expansion Impact

Led to broken promises, forced westward movement, loss of possessions and land, and massacres for Native Americans.

The Great American Desert

Term used to describe the vast Great Plains, where the American government moved eastern Native American tribes.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Federal agency created in 1824 to manage reservations, but often failed to keep its promises to Native Americans.

Impact of Settler Contact

Resulted in the spread of diseases like smallpox, leading to an estimated 50,000 Native American deaths after the discovery of gold in the West.

Reservation Life

Difficult due to removal from traditional homes, placement with traditional enemies, unsuitable farming land, and lack of training.

Buffalo Importance

Served as more than a food source; its skull was sacred, horns were used for utensils, bones for tools, and hide for clothing and housing.

Homestead Act of 1862

Encouraged settlers to move into tribal areas by offering 160 acres of land, displacing Native Americans.

Push-Pull Factors

Forces that cause people to move, such as the Homestead Act pulling settlers west and displacement pushing Native Americans away.

Sand Creek Massacre

Attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho at Sand Creek in Colorado by militia Colonel John Chivington in 1864, resulting in over 150 Native American deaths.

Custer's Last Stand

Battle of Little Big Horn, where Colonel George A. Custer and the 7th Cavalry were defeated by Native American warriors led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.

Ghost Dance Religion

A movement that promised a coming apocalypse with the Native Americans inheriting the earth. Seen as rebellious by some American leaders.

Battle of Wounded Knee

Massacre in South Dakota where around 300 Native Americans were killed, marking the end of Native American resistance.

Dawes Act of 1887

Designed to Americanize Native Americans by dividing reservation land into individual plots, ultimately stripping tribes of their land.

Assimilation

Adopting the culture, language, and attitudes of the majority group.

Indian Schools

Schools established to assimilate Native American children into dominant culture by removing them from their families and culture.