Indians & Indian Policy in the USA - Essay Example

According to Philip, in his book on the termination policy, he talks of the effect of the policy on native Indians. This is because the living condition of Indian tribes in reserves was worse and the government had to find a way to change the lives of Indians into normal lives. The termination policy took long to enforce and eventually it gave way to recognition of indigenous Indians as Americans1. One of the people involved in change of policy was the then American President, Harry Truman who wanted Indians to be recognized as Americans.

However, this was not the only policy that affected the Indian Americans in the United States since other polices were effected on American Indians. Cynthia Cumfer in her book explains the experiences that the Cherokee and the Tennesseans underwent in the USA. For instance, the refusal by Indians to be civilized led to the white administration colonizing their lands for different uses. During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the government wanted to engage the Indians in a manner that could ensure equal rights were awarded to Indians.

According to Jackson, Indians were naturally liberal and that they could not be considered as primitive and uncivilized. This is because he thought that if Indians could be taught on civilization then they would enjoy equal rights and privileges as the white Americans2. As a result, the government saw the need for integration of the Indians into main stream American societies. This policy ensured that economic equality and education handed to the Indians at the expense of Indian traditions and culture3.