Gov’t Response to the Meriam Report

In an effort to reduce both the government’s responsibilities and terrible impacts on the Indigenous tribes, Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934.  This was also called “The Indian New Deal”. 

The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
(Also known as the Indian New Deal)

In response to the Meriam Report, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934.  The law was designed to help the tribes preserve what lands remained of the reservations, so that they might save their languages and cultures after the destruction wrought by the Dawes Act. The legislation was also called the Wheeler-Howard Act. 

The Reorganization Act stopped the allotment of reservation land to individual tribal members, and stopped the sale of “surplus” reservation land to Whites.  Any reservation lands that had not yet been allotted to individual tribal members or sold to Whites would be returned to ownership by the entire tribe. The legislation still provides a framework for U.S. Indigenous policy today.   

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