Paul Cooney
AP American
Mr. Decarlo
8 January 2007


LAD 21

The General Allotment Act of 1887 (commonly known as the Dawes Act) gave the President the right to survey Native American land and divide it into allotments in whatever fashion he deemed appropriate. Many were aginst the Act, as they believed that a reservation system was inhumane, and under it the Natives could never be self-sufficient. There are eleven sections to the Act
· The President was authorized to divide up Native American’s land, giving them a certain amount of acreage according to age.
· Natives will choose their own allotment; the family will choose for each minor child; the orphan children will be accounted for by Native American agents.
· Each Native American agent has to certify each allotment and file the paper work accordinly.
· Native Americans not on their reservation or without reservations will receive the equal allotment.
· Secretary of the Interior will hold the agrements in trust for 25 years; the Secretary can negotiate under existing treaties for the land.
· Every Native American is elligable to become a United States citizen after completion of the Land Patent process.
· Water rights on irrigated land were evaluated.
· The Act could not be applied to the Five Civilized Tribes and several other tribes.
· Appropriations of funds were made to carry out the Act.
· Power of Eminent Domain was established over the allotments.
· And finally, a provision for the Southern Ute Native Americans.
The Dawes Act opened up millions of acres of land for white settlers because all of the Native tribes had been relocated.