Allotment

Definition

Allotment refers to the distribution of land, specifically under U.S. government policies aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American society by dividing communal tribal lands into individual plots. This practice sought to encourage farming and land ownership among Native Americans, moving them away from their traditional communal lifestyles. Through allotment, many tribes faced significant loss of land and cultural identity, as excess land was often sold to non-Native settlers.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Dawes Act of 1887 established the framework for allotment by breaking up tribal lands and granting individual plots to Native Americans.
2. Allotment policies were intended to encourage Native Americans to adopt agriculture and abandon their traditional lifestyles, which were seen as incompatible with American values.
3. Many Native Americans lost their allotted lands due to taxation, legal issues, and pressure from white settlers, leading to significant cultural disruption.
4. The allotment system resulted in a dramatic decrease in Native American land ownership, with estimates indicating that tribes lost over 90 million acres of land by the 1930s.
5. Allotment practices were eventually seen as detrimental to Native American communities, leading to reforms in the mid-20th century that aimed to restore tribal sovereignty and communal landholdings.

Review Questions

• How did the allotment system impact the traditional lifestyles of Native American tribes?
  • The allotment system had a profound impact on the traditional lifestyles of Native American tribes by forcibly breaking up communal lands and encouraging individual land ownership. This shift pushed many Native Americans towards agricultural practices that contradicted their nomadic or semi-nomadic ways of life. As they lost their communal resources and faced increased economic challenges, many tribes struggled to maintain their cultural identities and practices.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the allotment policy in achieving its goals regarding Native American assimilation.
  • The allotment policy was largely ineffective in achieving its intended goals of assimilating Native Americans into American society. While it aimed to promote agriculture and individualism among tribes, it instead led to widespread loss of land and disruption of cultural practices. The failure of allotment to create successful farmers among Native Americans highlighted the inadequacies of imposing European-American values on indigenous peoples, ultimately causing more harm than good.
• Analyze the long-term consequences of allotment on Native American communities and their relationship with the U.S. government.
  • The long-term consequences of allotment on Native American communities include significant loss of land, erosion of cultural practices, and ongoing legal struggles over tribal sovereignty. As tribes lost millions of acres through allotment and subsequent sales, their ability to sustain traditional lifestyles diminished, leading to social and economic challenges that persist today. Additionally, the legacy of allotment has fostered a complex relationship with the U.S. government, as tribes continue to advocate for rights related to land restitution and self-determination.

Related terms

Dawes Act:

A federal law enacted in 1887 that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land, while redistributing surplus lands to white settlers.

Reservation: Designated areas of land set aside by the U.S. government for Native American tribes, often characterized by limited autonomy and restricted rights.

Assimilation: The process by which a minority group adopts the customs, values, and behaviors of the dominant culture, often at the expense of its own cultural identity.