Key factors in the history of American Indian land tenure include the legislative acts, laws and treaties that have shaped U.S. federal Indian policy and have led to the fractured state of land ownership in Indian Country today.
History of Allotment
The U.S. federal government began the policy of allotting Indian land as early as 1798. Several treaties with Indian tribes included provisions that stated land would be divided among their individual members. After 1871, however, Congress declared that no further treaties would be made and all future dealings with Indians would be conducted through legislation. MORE
Historical Allotment Legislation
The allotment of American Indian reservations was a policy put into effect by many pieces of legislation. This section provides brief summaries of and links to all general allotment legislation, including the General Allotment Act of 1887, its amendments and other related legislation. MORE
Recent Allotment Legislation
The information in this section revolves around the Indian Land Consolidation Act of 1983 and its amendments. These pieces of legislation are important attempts by the federal government to address the effects of allotment and to prevent the further fractionation of Indian land title. MORE
Tribe/Reservation Allotment Information
While some tribes were allotted under the General Allotment Act of 1887, others were allotted through treaty or tribe-, state-, or reservation-specific legislation. This section lists each tribe-reservation that was allotted, the specific allotting legislation, and the number of allotments made until 1934 when further allotments were prohibited. MORE
Court Cases
Includes brief summaries of important court cases related to allotment and Indian land tenure and includes links to the full text of court decisions after 1893. MORE
Treaties
A collection of online American Indian treaty resources. MORE
American Indian History Timeline
Shows events, politics, legislation and laws relating to Indian land tenure. MORE
