1. By: Natasha Bitsui Indian Country

2. Indian Country • Encompasses reservations • It includes all land within the limits of an Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States government • All dependent Indian communities • All Indian allotments still in trust, whether they are located within reservations or not

3. Indian Country • Congress enacted the General Allotment Act of 1887 • Purposes of Dawes Act: • Break up tribal governments, abolish the reservations and to civilize the Native peoples • To accomplish this goal, congress decided to divide tribal lands into individual parcels, gives each tribal member a parcel, and sell the “surplus” parcels to non-Indian farmers.

4. Indian Country • Title to the land remained in the United States in trust for 25 years or longer if it was extended by the President • The trust period was suppose to protect the allottees from immediate state taxation and to allow an opportunity to learn farming • When the allotments were received the allottees became U.S. citizens and were subject to state criminal and civil law

5. Indian Country • The Dawes Act was believed to help the Indians but its effect on Indians and Indian land was catastrophic. • Most Indians did not want to abandon their culture • Because much of the lands that were allotted to the Indians were not suitable for small-scale farming, Indians had to sell their parcels to settlers or lost land in tax foreclosure

6. Indian Country • Three basic land holdings in Indian Country • Tribal trust lands=largest category of Indian land, are held in trust by the U.S. Government for the use of a tribe • Allotted trust lands=are held in trust for the use of individual Indians • Fee lands=are held by an owner, whether Indian or not

7. Indian Country • http://tribaljurisdiction.tripod.com/id7.html • Definitions of “Indian Country” (online reading)