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July 8

Native American Self-Determination Declared Official Policy (1970)


On July 8, 1970, President Richard Nixon declared that the official policy of the United States with regard to Native Americans would be Native American self-determination. Native American self-determination is the series of social movements, legislation, and beliefs that support the ability of the tribes of Native Americans in the United States to control their own affairs.

In the 1920s, a policy of paternalism was adopted with regards to the Native Americans. Paternalism was the policy of molding young Native Americans to a “non-Indian” way of life through schools. Later, the government admitted that this paternalism was unfair to the Indian tribes and their people. Objection to the paternalism movement gave way to the self-determination movement in the 1930s, when the Indian Reorganization Act was passed. This Act was created to secure more rights for Native Americans.

However, the strength that the movement gained during the 1930s began to diminish into the 1950s. The 1950s were a low point in Native American rights, and were given the name “the termination era.” During this period, the government wanted to fully terminate the federal recognition of Native American tribes. Over 100 tribes were terminated while those that were left once again became subject to paternalism. Just as in the 1930s, injustices towards the Native Americans gave rise to a movement of self-determination during the 1960s.

Self-determination was not the official United States policy until July 8, 1970, when President Richard Nixon addressed the issue in his congressional speech “Message from the President of the United States Transmitting Recommendations for Indian Policy.” The speech encouraged a new policy towards Native Americans in which they could make their own governing decisions, and recommended a decisive break with past policy.

After Nixon’s speech, Congress passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. This act legalized the process of making direct contracts between the government and the Indian tribes just as the federal government does with the states.