The United States' Termination Policy
The United States' termination policy was designed to eradicate the native way of life and promote civilized civilization. This policy's main goal was to reduce the cost the federal government was bearing by paying Indian Americans a regular salary and giving them authority over their own finances.
Indeed, the strategy had a significant impact on the reservations in a number of ways. For instance, the conservative members of Congress under the leadership of Dillon S. Myer created The Indian Claims Act of 1964 and pushed for the return of property taken from Native Americans in order to support their reservations. As the person in charge of War Relocation Authority during the onset World War II, Myer managed to remove the Japanese Americans from their reservation homes to internment camps.
Changes in the Lives of Indian Americans
The termination policy changed the lives of Indian Americans because they were previously subjected to total poverty. Based on the fact that they did not receive regular income, they were forced to sell most of their lands. Another effect of the relocation was the difficulty to adapt to the new environments. Those who managed to go back to their farms were forced to content with their significantly reduced sizes. Likewise, the policy converted Indian day schools into boarding institutions. According to Myer, schools harbored customs and cultures that could manipulate Native Americans. The facilities were expanded to accommodate students from reservations who were educated on modern subjects which helped them assimilate into the then bureaucratic society.
The Approval of Remunerations and Assimilation
The termination policy also approved remunerations to the Native Indians. However, since politicians pushed the enactment of the policy held interest that conflicted with those of the Natives, they remained subjugated to poverty and unemployment. It was until the enactment of the BIA that their lives started to improve. They abandoned their culture and assimilated into the urban society. Statistics show that almost half of Native Americans now live in urban spaces.
