Were Native American Indians ever paid compensation for the horrors inflicted on them by the U.S. Government?

Question

When American Indians were forced to live on reservations, had their land stolen by anglos, and were killed or jailed unjustly were they or their surviving family members ever paid legally or apologized to? Would they in this day and age be considered POWs? In the history books was their ill treatment and slaughter ever referred to as a form of genocide?..any comments on these issues?

Answer 1

In short, no real "compensation" was paid, and there were a few scattered apologies.
Trying to turn it around and ask them to apologize is ludicrous since the government of the time pretty much wiped out the entire race. Countless treaties were created that gave Native Americans areas of land only to be taken over by force shortly thereafter. The tragedy is that the treaties used words like, "this land will be yours as long as the sun will rise and grass will grow". Nice.

Chris Rock says it best:
"No one has it worse than the American Indian! No one! When was the last time you saw a Native American family having dinner at Red Lobster?"

Answer 2

Over the years the US government has made reparations (compensation) with cash and land. How much cash, how much land, where the land is, etc., have always been a matter of debate as to what is considered "fair" compensation.

I'm not a history expert, but I believe that the US may be one of the few - if not the only - country in the world that has made such reparations following the "conquering" of a land or people.

For thousands of years, one group or another was engaged in conquering or taking over - the fact that it was done on US soil doesn't make it right and we've tried to make amends for it.

Most countries are finished with the desire to conquer another country. There are still some "rogue states" out there though, and we have to be wary that it may happen to us. If it does happen at some time in the future, I seriously doubt they will be so kind as to offer us reparations.

Answer 3

I think there are very few cases in which any type of compensation was given. And, generally, history treads far too lightly on the subject.

To some degree, Native Americans were eventually given a degree of self determination. It does not, however, justly compensate them or their culture for what the United States did to them. I don't know if it ever could.

Answer 4

In case you didn't notice, the Native Americans also perpetrated barbaric acts on settlers pretty regularly. Did the Native Americans every apologize for killing whole families of pioneers?

Contrary to contemporary liberal convolution of history, the Native Americans didn't believe in individual land ownership. The land was a free and universal thing that couldn't be owned, only utilized.

But there is certainly no doubt that the government broke treaties with the Indians often in pursuit of Manifest Destiny. It was the wrong way to go about it. Eventually the N.A.s would have assymilated into American culture peacefully.

Answer 5

American Indian's have had some compensation, yes, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Indian Health Services, the Indian Child Welfare Act just to name a few, some tax deductions etc. We do, I promise you pay income tax!

Answer 6

WOW all the ignorant rednecks came out to answer this question! Not sup rising. The people who know the least about the subject, think they have all the answers. As to your question, could you really ever apologize enough for what they have done to Native Americans?

Answer 7

Were the victims of the Native Americans ever paid compensation?

The fact of the matter is the neither side had really clean hands during the 200 year, on again/off again war between the two incompatible cultures.

Answer 8

They were "compensated" with land, $$, food, medical care, free education. True this kind of welfare was poor compensation for their loss of freedom, culture & way of life, and went a long way itself to destroy their freedom, culture & way of life, but this government welfare state was what they were given. I wonder if the "War on Poverty's" welfare state will be as damaging to its beneficiaries?

Now of course the "tribes" and their political & business cronies are being further compensated with legal gambling monopolies.

Answer 9

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR INDIAN AFFAIRS
Over the past decade, the annual budget for the BIA has averaged approximately $1 billion. The fiscal year 1991 appropriation for the BIA is $1.5 billion for the principal program categories of: Education, $554.5 million; Tribal Services (including social services and law enforcement), $338.9 million; Economic Development, $ 14.6 million; Navajo-Hopi Settlement, $1.4 million; Natural Resources, $139.7 million; Trust Responsibilities, $74.7 million; Facilities Management, $94.2 million; General Administration, $112.0 million; Construction, $167.6 million; Indian Loan Guaranty, $ 11.7 million; Miscellaneous Payments to Indians, $56.1 million; and Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund, $3.0 million.

Under the Indian self-determination policy, tribes may operate their own reservation programs by contracting with the BIA. In fiscal year 1990, tribal governments contracted programs totalling $415 million, over 30 percent of the total BIA budget.
Indian Health Service, $1.4 billion; end administration for Native Americans, $33.3 million (both agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services); and the Office of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of Education, $75.3 million.
TRUST LANDS:
A total of 56.2 million acres of land are held in trust by the United States for various Indian tribes and individuals. Much of this is reservation land; however, not all reservations land is trust land. On behalf of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior serves as trustee for such lands with many routine trustee responsibilities delegated to BIA officials.
INDIAN TRIBES:
There are 510 federally recognized tribes in the United States, including about 200 village groups in Alaska.
TAXES:
They pay the same taxes as other citizens with the following exceptions applying to those Indians living on federal reservations: (1) federal income taxes are not levied on income from trust lands held for them by the United States; (2) state income taxes are not paid on income earned on a federal reservation; (3) state sales taxes are not paid on transactions made on a federal reservation, and (4) local property taxes are not paid on reservation or trust land.

Answer 10

I think they have been compensated numerous times with tax free casinos, tax free checks distributed by the US govt., free schooling, free medical, etc.. How many times do you have to buy the land? Maybe it is high time they start paying taxes for the benefits they receive like the rest of us!