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| Long title | An Act to promote the general welfare of the Indians of the State of Oklahoma, and for other purposes. |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Oklahoma Indian Bill |
| Enacted by | the 74th United States Congress |
| Effective | June 26, 1936 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | 74-816 |
| Statutes at Large | 49 Stat. 1967 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | 25 U.S.C.: Indians |
| U.S.C. sections created | 25 U.S.C. ch. 14, subch. VIII § 501 et seq. |
| Legislative history | |
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The Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936 (also known as the Thomas-Rogers Act) is a United States federal law that extended the 1934 Wheeler-Howard or Indian Reorganization Act to include those tribes within the boundaries of the state of Oklahoma. The purpose of these acts were to rebuild Indian tribal societies, return land to the tribes, enable tribes to rebuild their governments, and emphasize Native culture. These Acts were developed by John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1933 to 1945, who wanted to change federal Indian policy from the "twin evils" of allotment and assimilation, and support Indian self-government.[1]
The Thomas-Rogers Act was adopted in order to enable Native American tribes in Oklahoma to rebuild governments that had been dissolved in order to prepare the territories for Oklahoma being admitted as a state in the Union in 1907.[2] As part of this effort also to encourage Native American assimilation, Indian land title was extinguished in Indian Territory by the break-up and allotment of communal lands. Under the Dawes and Curtis acts, the communal land of the former reservations in Oklahoma was:
- allotted to individual Indian Tribal members with 160 acres per household (too little in many areas to support subsistence farming because of poor conditions)
- held in trust by the United States for the benefit of tribal members.
- What the government determined to be "surplus" was sold off or otherwise distributed, including to non-Natives, in a series of land runs.
In addition to surplus lands being sold, many Native Americans lost their allotments to speculators and unscrupulous businessmen. The Native Americans suffered major losses of land in Oklahoma. In addition, the disruption of their societies and cultures resulted in considerable breakdown of their worlds.
- ^ "Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act (1936)". Oklahoma Historical Society’s Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
- ^ "Choctaw Nation v State of Oklahoma (Mineral Rights Arkansas River) Supreme Court 90 S.Ct. 1328 (April 27. 1970) Section I" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-29. Retrieved 2012-01-30.