At the end of the 19th century the federal policy against the Indian tribes changed from one of “the only good Indian is a dead Indian” to “kill the Indian and save the man.”
This was in essence a change from annihilation to assimilation…..The major force behind this change was the Dawes Act.
The Dawes act had several factors----the first was to break the community aspect of tribal life and remake the natives into the western image of individual property owning farmers. Dr. Lisa Uhlir has a wide variety of interests which led her to degrees varying from Russian Studies to Philosophy and International Economics. She graduated from George Washington University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Texas at Arlington. In a personal search of her Ojibwa history, her research and publications on Indigenous topics have focused primarily on Native American Boarding Schools and the history of Black Indians. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx