1) Who was John Collier, and what role did he play in creating a "New Deal" for Native People?
John Collier was a prominent American who supported the welfare of the Indians. The then president appointed him to be the commissioner of Indian affairs and while in this docket he was very instrumental in pushing the Native American agenda through federal policy (Salinas, 1995). The main way in which he did this was by the Indian Reorganization Act. The reason that he rooted for the protection of the Indian culture was the fact that he had spent some time in an art colony in Taos and by the time that he left, he by the time that he left he believed that the Indian culture was under threat from the encroachment of the white Americans (Salinas, 1995).
After the success of the Indian Reorganization Act, he introduced the Indian New Deal which was one of the most influential acts concerning the welfare of the Indians and their interactions with the white Americans. The New Deal that was the brain child of Collier was also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act and the reason that it was so influential was that it mandated that be 50 years of assimilation policies. Another factor that made the New Deal worth noting was the fact that it mentioned Indian land that was taken by the governments in the late 1880s (Taylor, 1984). The New Deal emphasized self-determination on the part of the Indians and also demanded that the government return Indian communal land. This did not go well with some of the land owners since it was in contradiction of the Indian General Allotment Act that was signed in 1887 (Taylor, 1984).
B)Please answer one of the following:
1) Explain Spanish, French, and English patterns of contact with Native Americans: How did their goals and type of colonization affect the success or failure of relations with Native groups?
2) Explain French patterns of contact with Native Americans: How did their goals and type of colonization affect the success or failure of relations with Native groups?
3) Explain English patterns of contact with Native Americans: How did their goals and type of colonization affect the success or failure of relations with Native groups?
4) How did Native responses to European activities affect the direction that colonies took?
C) Please answer one of the following:
1) What are the central events and issues concerning American Indian cultures and society between 1492 and the contemporary period?
2) What historical events and issues impact contemporary political developments among Native Americans communities in North and South America?
3) What role is history playing in settling contemporary lawsuits regarding Native Americans?
4) What historical events and issues impact contemporary economic developments among Native Americans communities in North and South America?
D) Please answer one of the following:
1) In the nineteenth century, historian Francis Parkman asserted that "Spanish civilization crushed the Indian, French civilization embraced and cherished him, [while] English civilization scorned and neglected him." Do you agree with these characterizations? How might you append, amend, or entirely upend them?
2) How successful was the Termination and Relocation program of the 1950s?
3) Explain the importance of having a reasonably accurate demographic analysis of pre-Columbian populations.
4) Would you characterize members of the American Indian Movement as domestic terrorists? Why or why not?