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The Native Americans and the Cold War

 

            After WWII Native Americans faced many serious issues involving their freedom and rights as people. One of these issues was termination. Termination was when federal officials tried to throw out the reservation system and attempt to bring Native Americans in to mainstream society. There were many reasons for this "termination " some good hearted and some not, like ending restrictions on the purchase of liquor and firearms, eliminate costly federal spending, to settle land claims, and stripping Natives of tribal land. This was an example of the fight of the cold war. The United States was fighting all communism and was strong on the idea of liberating all enslaved people of the world, and for many this included Native Americans. In 1953 Congress's idea to terminate the Federal supervision and control of Native Americans was put into motion to become legal code. This made Native Americans subject to the same laws and gave them the right to the same privileges and responsibilities of other Americans. This led to the attempted termination of all federal and Native land treaties through legislation. Native Americans had their sovereignty taken without consent. During the Cold war fight against communism many groups began to demand rights. The idea of "difference " was becoming un- American. Although too many this was a very important issue the majority of integration ideas and techniques were more aimed to the needs of blacks in America. .
             Congress's movement of termination slowed and ceased because of many Native Americans crossed tribal lines to protest termination legislation. Native American activists defeated a well organized campaign for termination by using a Cold War claim to indigenous patriotism.The material and moral aspects of the Cold War helped with the forming of both Native Americans' plans and ideas to fight termination legislation and their understanding of Marshall Plan aid for Europe, and the Point Four aid for underdeveloped countries.


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