About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 A Memorial by American Indians: [Letters between the American Indian Federation and the Office of President Franklin D. Roosevelt] 1 (1934-1935)

handle is hein.amindian/meamb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AMRICAN INDIAN FEDERATION December 21 193$. - A MEMiORIAL BY AMERICAN INDIANS To Honorable Franklin D, Roosevelt, The President, and To the Congress of the Uhited States: On behalf nf the American Indian, the Amerioan Indian Federation duly organised on Avgg3st V7 In the city of Gallup, New Mexico, by leading Indiana, suizc t to the juisdiction of the Btreau~of Indian Affairs, presents thit Memorial far yow earnest consideration, Hafing been ganted unqualified Amer ican Citizenship in 1924, we beg to emphasize that 'we should be considered and treated in acoar- danoe with that part of the immortal Deolaration of Independence, Teading: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with bertain inalienable r igats; that anong these are life, liberty and the parsuit of happiness,' Until 1871, the Ainefloan. Indian, existing inder various Tribal organizations, was treated as tseparate nations*, with whom the American Government had made some 3?& treaties, Congress in 1871 passed an Act abolishing twther recognition of Indian Tribes as independent nations, with. Whom the United States would make treaties, but not annulling those 370 already made. From 1871 until or grant of pitizenship in 19a, the American Indian was held as a political prsoner, ar, as the United States Svpreme Court has defined the status, as 'politioal wards -his person under the immediate j3wisdiction of the Buweau of Indian Affairs, and subject in all personal relations to the arbitray rules and regulations of said Butewa Since ow gant of oitizenship in 19S24. we have been led to believe. and have hoped that the Buweau of Indian Affairs would, grant us ow personal freedom, and that the Aerican.Indian at last would be 'Recognied as an American oitizen; treated as such; educated as Until the present Administration, no official of said Bureau has ever publicly repudiated the Act by Congress in granting us citizen- sbip, In an artiole by Commissioner Collier appearing in the magazine sectia5 of The New .Yrk Times, issumof May- ES 14, the Commissioner writea: Reproduction by Permission of Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Buffalo, NY

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most