I cannot imagine a reason against forming these groups when the incentive would be so high, even if real work weren't being done throughout the whole year, the entity itself would still receive the money.

It is a pretty powerful reminder of how the courts have the ability to undo acts at future times, but that including their seal of promise has strength beyond any regular act itself.

I suppose without the guardianship, their lands would have been taken long ago without. I can't help but think that without the guardianship the awful assimilation practices would not have been introduced.

Previously he had stated how the tribe would have the ability to have their own ways protected, yet i don't think it was implied then that it would be through the continued guardianship of the government. It would seem that it is the guardianship that in all these years has been the true detriment to the Natives.

This seems like one of the only instances where tribal members sought allotment for their own interests. Did they know that they were jeopardizing the tribes land in this instance? Wouldn't the allotments also have benefited whites wanting that land as well?

While the commissioner may be convincing in his examples, I see how it would be difficult to trust yet again another white man, convincing them he is different from other white men who have committed these atrocities to other tribes and will, as he says, continue to do so with subsequent administrations.

His bluntness towards the possible future without the Act, could convince me to sign away.

After hearing this from the commissioner,, i would find the Act very promising for the future of the tribe's sovereignty and independence, something that has been lacking since the start of the white assimilation.

If the process will continue on without them signing it into existence, then do they really need to sign anything?

Depending on how much faith they have in this man's words, this sentiment may be lost on them. since it is no guarantee.

Curious to know if they mine the land for oil today or if it is undertaken by the government.

It is crazy that they would be taxed for their own lands resources. It is even crazier to know how nowadays, at least from what i know, in Alaska they are paid an annual amount for living on the oil rich lands.

Makes it sound very giving of the government to do these things even though they has been imprisoned by that same government.

At least by other standards set by previous commissioners, he has already surpassed them by willingly visiting the tribes to convince them of his bill without browbeating them into voting yes.

I wonder if he was just pandering to his audience here or really felt that way.

I think this also hides the more devious intentions of the the whole of white society to assimilate Indians. By giving them the ability to acknowledge and further discuss their cultures without neglecting their ancestral past the transition is not as intense like with Carlisle.

It sounds like a better idea to try and assimilate as many people as possible to hear the sentiments from someone with a similar background rather than someone with the only intent to change everything about them.

Drilling into them new ideals and ways of life

Maybe all that she had to endure, besides the discomfort from being looked at as a stranger in her family home, were typical day to day activities of her people.

It must be tragic for parents who are finally reunited with their children to see them as unrecognizable.

It is such a drastic difference from Elizabeth, but shows that the assimilation and eradication of ties to ones tribe can be erased if started at an earlier enough age and with enough lengthy separations from family.

A true depiction of strength in numbers

She was very lucky that she was accompanied by family in this hostile environment to her cultural identity.

I enjoy that the subtle objection of the institute was written plainly for all to see if they were really looking for it.

To think that they subjected young children to endless time away from their families without any consideration build upon the idea that they believed they were helping at that this would ultimately be the fastest way to achieve assimilation.

Sounds like the ideal household environment some people wish to raise their children today.

I wonder if the opposite were also true, her white relative never looking her up.

Women from this tribe in particular, must have really seen the process of assimilating into a world where women's power is muted compared to that of the man as incredibly perplexing.

I wonder if it was common for men and women outside the tribe to learn their language before marrying into it.

The unfair nature of the acts against the Indians is so abundant and this just shows how the unfairness not only casts a net over all of the Indigenous people, but further gets cast a new net over the under of each individual.

Very much a take what they give you and use it against them narrative.

Were the scouts still somehow related to the government or rivals of the Apaches?

Directly contradicts the widespread belief written about earlier in this piece.

It sounds like this group could not have been more equipped to handle these matters.

Considering that the white agenda was to improve and assimilate Indian's into American white culture, one would think they would try to detract Indian's from educating themselves on matters that could challenge the rules set in place by the government.

I wonder why the Sec. of War was involved in these matters.

Yes, because people who are imprisoned and in a state of limbo have nothing better to do with the land promised to them. The assumptions as stated by the author are truly awful.

Further showing the selfish hand of the whites that were simply trying to "help" assimilate the Native's to the American way of life.

It is remarkable that this is actually stated in the Constitution. To think that it needed to be explicitly stated shows the deprivation and pain that generations of people had to endure before the laws were written.

Highlights the whole belief in the pantribal alliance that epitomized the message behind the SAI.

For some reason the connotation in this sentence sounds negative, even though he was using the relationship for the good of the Native's. I think it sounds like this because when you say you are using someone for specific goals and objectives it sounds like a negative yet here in this instance it is quite the opposite considering the Native's needed to use any resource at their disposable to be heard.

As in a father figure?

I think this really shows the humble nature of Cloud considering many other people would jump at the opportunity to dd President to their title especially at such a young age. Also to receive that recommendation at his age demonstrates his capability to represent the interests of the people electing him.

So many different organizations each with their own idea of how to help the Native's by instilling their own beliefs.

If all the students had been taught farming practices, their ability to actually find future careers among their people would be part of the minority of farmers that already existed. Their teachings, despite the awfulness that accompanied it, expanded their career opportunities.

Depending in who it was, the school was either a blessing or a blight.

Today's Natives understand the subjugation their ancestors endured by people who wanted to completely erase their culture by gradual means.

I see the push for vocational education to be held in the school, but i think having the choice at an older age in school for more focused education could have been beneficial to the students and more receptive to the older tribal members.

The piousness is overwhelming.

This is simply the opinion of someone who has been raised and engulfed in the influence of whites, i'm sure someone of an older generation with less involvement in the assimilation would say the exact opposite.

While I find that their education of basic principles like math, reading, and writing to be important, the complete disregard for their own roots is in itself something that other cultivated nations have preserved. Other cultures have distinct stories and traditions that these girls have been forced to forget and see as something of lesser value to the white culture they are taught.

The discrimination against blacks, even ones with Cherokee blood is more evidence of the plight that anyone with African descent faced during these times.

How distressing for young girls to see their faults stemming form lacking blue eyes and not being able to reach enlightenment based solely on feature.

Lacking consistency in their education and those teaching them must have also contributed to its own share of difficulties for the school girls.

This is absolutely outstanding to me that someone within the same culture could mock such young girls for their inability to conform to very different ideals than the ones they were raised in. Especially as and educator, to have little compassion is remarkable, but also shows the depth that white culture penetrated the minds of the these people.

This somewhat mirrors today's climate with college admittance. Some kids simply do not have the resources around them or the money to pay for programs that will help them perform better on necessary tests.

Instead of fighting over who was more Cherokee they should have been focused on the preservation of their culture's identity, but I could see the difficulty in trying to deal with someone originating form the same circumstances but feeling more superior due to their education.

The students young age made them very susceptible to believing in the teachings that their own ancestry and culture was wrong. They were undoubtedly easier to move towards assimilation than the older generations.

I was entirely unaware that colorism existed amongst the Native people, but it is evident that with such a heavy white influence on the school students that something like this would be the outcome.

Well I could see why there would be a rift, considering the seminary did not teach anything about the Cherokee culture.

I wonder if these burnings were accidental or intentional

I'm curious to know what constitutes a great vision from a lesser one, is it simply on basis of visuals or on what is said in the vision?

Before the author mentioned the "new world" and i thought it was in reference to the coming changes, now i am confused since i believe the "departed" are referencing ancestors, but how could they be in the "new world" coming?

The author is very deliberate in mentioning every location they passed through and stayed on and who they encountered, as if neglecting those details would takeaway from the narrative.

I've never heard this phrase before so I had to look it up, it is drawing upon the way a snake's tongue is split or forked in two, meaning that someone can be saying one thing but be meaning something else entirely. This further portrays that the deceit that comes from the soldiers on their land.

It is interesting that the author uses "new world" in the sense of a changing world around them, not in a physical new land sense the way that history has taught us to look at the discovery of the Americas.

I enjoy the way in which names are very descriptive, here with the agent's new name and also above with "No Water's Camp" and "Moon of Black Cherries," both of which lead me to believe they describe the scenery associated with the creek and with the month of August.