Why weren't American Indians recognized as United States citizens until 1924?

Answer 1

Read the trail of tears! They were moved onto reservations and given this land no one wanted and told to make their own government moving tribes together who had been mortal enemies for century's. In Oklahoma it is called the 7 tribes nations and that is why they can have Cherokee casino.
It is their own government not controlled by the state.
Because of the money from this casino, we now have good schools, not just for us but for all Americans in OK.
We have our own health center and they have build bridges and things the government simply doesn't have the funds to do or won't do. We owned the land until oil was discovered and then they wanted to make Indians a part of the USA.
So we could sell them the land.

Answer 2

At first the United States saw the Indian as a wards of the Government except in the Indian Territories where the five "civilized' tribes had negotiated a treaty where they had their own courts police and schools. By 1924 the Indian was seen as citizens as it was felt that the pacification programs had worked and were no longer needed.

Answer 3

Up until then, and to a certain extent even today, Indian tribes are treated as separate nations. Until the end of the Indian Wars, and the settling of the Frontier, Indians were not citizens of the USA, but of their own "Indian Nations."

Quite frankly, I believe giving citizenship to American Indians was just another ploy to rob them of their due. As seperate nations, the United States could make treaties, and was morally obligated to respect those treaties. As American Citizens, treaties were not needed, nor were they legal, hence citizenship gave Congress the power to screw Indians the same way they screw the rest of the country. Not saying that Congress didn't screw the Indians before, just that citizenship made it easier.

If you can find the book "Standing Bear becomes a Man" it might help understand the problem better. It is the story of Standing Bear, a Ponca Indian, who brought suit in court to be declared a free man and a citizen. The court eventually ruled in his favor, but specifically limited the decision to Standing Bear, not all Indiands.

Doc

Answer 4

You may have heard of the "Indian Nations." Up until the closing of the frontier in 1890, the US government signed treaties with, conducted military operations against, received visiting dignitaries, and otherwise dealt with the Indian tribes as sovereign entities.

With the establishment of reservations, Indian agencies, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a paternal relationship emerged. It has since been modified including the granting of citizenship, as you say, in 1924.

Answer 5

if you check out bill number " HR - 1294 " on the web you will find there are still Native Indigenous Americans who are still NOT recognized and are now trying to obtain said recognition.

Answer 6

Maybe you haven't noticed but this country was very slow to recognize many of its people properly... non-whites, women, etc

Answer 7

cuz people are idiots. they should respect the first people.