Trail of Broken Treaties facts for kids

The Trail of Broken Treaties was a big cross-country journey in 1972. It was organized by American Indian and First Nations groups. The journey started on the West Coast and ended in Washington, D.C., at the main building of the Department of Interior.

People on the Trail wanted several important things. They asked for tribes to get back their power to make treaties. They also wanted to get rid of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Plus, they called for the government to invest in jobs, homes, and schools for Native people.

This protest gathered many Native Americans along the way. When the caravan left St Paul, Minnesota, it was huge. It was described as "over four miles long." It included about 700 activists from more than 200 tribes and 25 states.

Eight groups helped organize this important caravan. These included the American Indian Movement (AIM) and the Canadian Assembly of First Nations. Other groups were the Native American Rights Fund and the National Indian Youth Council. In Minneapolis, at the AIM headquarters, activists wrote down their demands. This document was called the "Twenty-Point Position Paper."

Why the Trail of Broken Treaties Happened

The 1960s were a time when American Indians and First Nations people became more active. They wanted to renew their civil rights. They also aimed to improve their relationship with the federal governments. These governments had often failed to keep their promises from old treaties.

Many Native Americans had moved to cities by this time. The government had encouraged them to relocate from reservations to find work. However, they often faced unfair treatment. This included discrimination, poor education, and problems with police.

New groups and protests started to fight for Native rights. For example, students occupied Alcatraz Island for a long time. Also, the American Indian Movement (AIM) started in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded mostly by Ojibwe activists. These actions showed that Native people were ready to speak up.

Planning the Cross-Country Journey

AIM and other groups decided to organize a cross-country caravan. They wanted to make the whole country aware of Native issues. Protesters joined parts of the caravan from West Coast cities. These included Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They left these cities by bus and car on October 6.

The three caravans joined together in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, leaders wrote the "Twenty-Point proposal" of their demands. The caravan reached Washington, D.C. in early November. This was just before the presidential election. They chose this time to present their ideas to the next government. They wanted "an agenda for action on Indian problems." The large gathering of Native Americans in the capital made national news. They spoke up for their rights and wanted to meet with government officials.

The Occupation of the BIA Building

The Nixon Administration refused to meet with the protesters. They would not accept the Twenty-Point Position paper. The protesters felt tricked. So, they decided to take over the Department of Interior headquarters building. This building held the main offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

About 500 AIM members occupied the Interior building. During their protest, some destroyed records. They refused to leave until the government talked with them. The standoff lasted for one week. Finally, the federal government appointed someone to negotiate. They also agreed to put a Native American in a job within the BIA. In these talks, the government made some promises to the protesters. This included more treaty negotiations.

The national news, especially television, covered the protest widely. However, the media often focused on the government's actions. They did not always show what the protesters truly wanted. The protesters stressed tribal sovereignty. This means tribes having the right to govern themselves. They wanted new relationships and negotiations based on this idea. After gaining media attention, AIM organized more protests. One famous protest was the Wounded Knee Occupation in February 1973.

What the Twenty-Point Paper Asked For

The Twenty-Point Position Paper was written by activist Hank Adams. He was part of the Trail of Broken Treaties. The paper aimed to confirm the sovereignty of Indian Nations. It also wanted to restart treaty talks. Here are some of the main points:

1. The U.S. government should take back a part of the 1871 Indian Appropriations Act. This act stopped Indian Nations from making treaties with the U.S. government.
2. The U.S. government should create a Treaty Commission. This group would make new treaties to protect the future of Indian Nations. Also, no existing treaty terms should be broken.
3. The federal government should promise to meet with four American Indian representatives. This meeting should happen before June 2, 1974. The national news should be there.
4. The President should create a committee. It would have both Indian and non-Indian members. This committee would look at treaty promises and any times they were broken.
5. Treaties that have not been approved yet should be sent to the Senate.
6. All American Indian people should be seen as having treaty relationships with the U.S. government.
7. The U.S. government should make sure that treaty rights are protected by law.
8. The U.S. government should create a new court system for American Indians. This system would handle cases about treaty or tribal rights. It would apply to cases between Native Americans and between Native Americans and non-Native people. It is very important that leaders of Indian Nations help interpret treaties.
9. The U.S. Congress should give up its control over Indian Affairs. Instead, they should create a joint committee. This committee would be called the "Committee on Reconstruction of Indian Relations and Programs." Its members must spend a lot of time fixing Indian relations in America.
10. By July 4, 1976, the U.S. government should give back a permanent Native American land area. It should be at least 110 million acres (450,000 km²) in size. This land should never be taxed by the federal government. Also, the Termination Acts of the 1950s and 1960s should be stopped right away.
11. A law called 25 U.S.C. 163 should be changed. This change would give back all Indian rights to people who lost them due to enrollment issues. Also, American Indians should be able to be members of more than one tribe. They should also be able to get benefits from both.
12. Congress must stop state laws passed under Public Law 280. This law allows non-Indian people to gain control over governing reservation areas. It takes away American Indians' ability to govern themselves without outside problems.
13. All violent crimes against Indians should be treated as federal crimes. The people who commit these crimes must face federal punishment. Congress should also create a national federal Indian grand jury. This jury should only have Indians chosen by the President and by Indian people. This jury would also have power over non-Indian people living on reservations.
14. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) should be closed down by 1976. A new government group should be created to handle Indian-Federal relations.
15. The new group replacing the BIA would be called the "Office of Federal Indian Relations and Community Reconstruction."
16. This new "Office" would promote fairness between Indian Nations and the federal government. It would also try to fix the wrongs the federal government did to American Indians.
17. Congress should pass a law that allows Indian trade, business, and travel to be outside federal government control. American Indians on reservations should not have to pay federal and state taxes.
18. The U.S. government should respect and protect the spiritual and cultural ways of the Indian Nations.
19. Different Indian organizations should join together. This would help Indian Nations become unified again.
20. The U.S. government should focus on making better housing, education, jobs, and economic growth for American Indians.

In Movies and Other Media

• The documentary film Trudell talks about the Trail Caravan. It features activist John Trudell discussing his part in the journey. The film also shows the bigger picture of why the protest happened.