The National Archives
has scanned more than 300 agreements between the United States and
Indigenous tribes
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Ratified Indian Treaty
37: Eel River, Wyandot,Piankashaw, Kaskaskia, and KickapooVincennes,
Indiana Territory, August 7, 1803 (Courtesy of the National
Archives)
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For many Native American tribes, historical treaties
are a fraught reminder of promises madeand brokenby
the United States government over centuries of colonial expansion
and exploitation. The documents are also of paramount importance
today, as tribes and activists point to them as binding
agreements in legal battles for land and resources.
Thanks to a newly completed digitization effort by the U.S. National
Archives and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) in Santa
Fe, researchers and the public now have unprecedented access to
hundreds of these critical agreements.
The online collection features 374 ratified Indian treaties from
the archives holdings. According to a blog
post, these documents are housed in a specially protected area
of the National Archives building and are unavailable for use in
the Central Research Room due to their fragility and significance.
More than 50 of the treaties are written on large sheets of parchment;
several contain drawings, maps and wampum,
or decorative beads used as currency in some Native American tribes.
Those hoping to delve into the trove can use Indigenous
Digital Archive (IDA) Treaties Explorer, a free tool optimized
for easily searching and studying the documents. In addition to
providing a framework for research, the portal offers maps of different
treaty land designations, as well as extensive historical and contextual
information.
The treaties between the U.S. and Native nations are relevant,
and few people have had access to know about treaties that are related
to where they live, Della
Warrior, MIACs director and a member of the Otoe-Missouria
tribe, tells the Albuquerque
Journals Adrian Gomez. MIAC is pleased to be
able to provide this online resource that we all can use to explore
our relationships using maps and a carefully curated set of historical
documents from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the
Smithsonian, and other sources.
In addition to debuting the new resource, MIAC recently hosted
a series of Facebook workshops on treaty law. Led by Sherri
Thomas, assistant director of the University of New Mexico Law
Library, the recorded sessions are now available to view
online.
The digitization project was completed with funding from an anonymous
donor, says David
S. Ferriero, archivist of the United States, in a statement.
Of all the things we have custody of and are responsible
foreven the Charters of FreedomI believe the Indian
treaties are the most valuable documents in terms of reading the
original language and the government promises, and realizing what
was never delivered, he adds. Now, many more descendants
of the original peoples can examine the names and seals and read
the words set down by their ancestors so long ago.
Of all the things we have custody of and are responsible
foreven the Charters of FreedomI believe the Indian
treaties are the most valuable documents in terms of reading the
original language and the government promises, and realizing what
was never delivered, he adds. Now, many more descendants
of the original peoples can examine the names and seals and read
the words set down by their ancestors so long ago.
Today, treaties play key roles in disputes over land and water
rights.
As Kimbra Cutlip reported for Smithsonian
magazine in 2018, a group of Native American tribes has long
contested its right to land in South Dakotas Black Hills.
The tribes argument hinges on the Fort
Laramie Treaty, an 1868 legal document forged between a collective
of Native American bandsincluding the Dakota, Lakota, Nakota
and Arapahoand the U.S. government. Though officials had initially
designated the Black Hills as land reserved for Native use, they
reneged on the treaty when gold
was discovered in the region less than a decade later.
The importance of historic Native American treaties once again
surfaced in the news in July, when the Supreme Court ruled
that much of the eastern half of Oklahoma falls within Native American
territory. Though no land changed hands, the McGirt
v. Oklahoma decision was hailed as a win for tribal sovereignty
because it demonstrated that Native reservations established by
treaties with the U.S. in the 1830s were still valid despite the
fact that Oklahoma became a state in 1907.
This is a historic day, Creek Nation Principal Chief
David Hill told the New
York Times Jack Healy and Adam Liptak shortly after
the announcement. This is amazing. Its never too late
to make things right.
National
Archives
The National Archives is an independent federal agency that serves
American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of
our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this
documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access
to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens
and the actions of their government.
https://www.archives.gov
IDA
Treaties Explorer
While treaties between Indigenous peoples and the United States
affect virtually every area in the USA, there is as yet no official
list of all the treaties. The US National Archives holds 374 of
the treaties, where they are known as the Ratified Indian Treaties.
Here you can view them for the first time with key historic works
that provide context to the agreements made and the histories of
our shared lands.
https://digitreaties.org
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