Federal policy toward Native Americans has fluctuated wildly in the twentieth century. Washington long envisioned that Indians would be assimilated into American culture -- until FDR's New Deal introduced tribal self-government Then, during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, its goal became the termination of federal wardship status for Indians.
This book considers the changes in attitude that began in 1960 and culminated in the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975. Drawing on personal interviews with key players, George Castile goes behind the scenes in Washington to reveal what motivated policy makers -- and who really shaped policy -- from the Kennedy to the Ford administrations. Along the way, he assesses the impact of the Indian activism of the 1960s and 1970s and offers an objective view of the American Indian Movement and the standoff at Wounded Knee. He also discusses the recent history of individual tribes, which gives greater meaning to decisions made at the national level.
