Termination and Relocation: Federal Indian Policy, 1945-1960

by Donald L. Fixico

Between the end of the Roosevelt era and the beginning of the Kennedy administration, less traditional Native Americans, congressional leaders, and government administrators developed a policy that they hoped would integrate the Indian population with mainstream America. To this end, they enacted laws to terminate the government's trusteeship of Indian lands and relocate Indians to the nation's cities. They believed that once Indians left the reservation, they would have opportunities for education and employment that would enable them to participate more fully in the larger society. These policies were most fully applied to the Menominee and Klamath tribes. But the sponsors of this legislation underestimated the importance of the fundamental differences between Indian and Anglo culture that would make it nearly impossible for most Indians to make the transition. By the early 1960s it had become tragically apparent that the policies of termination and relocation were creating a new subclass of urban Indians who were ill equipped to survive in the competitive, materialistic world off the reservation. In this major study Fixico looks at the history and effects of these policies from the Indian perspective. He also situates termination within the larger issue of civil rights during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations.

Genres: History, Indigenous History

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, that was a slog, largely due to the writing. I am glad for the review of this 15-year period of Native-federal relations, including some of the key players on both sides, but my goodness, I found the chapters entirely disorganized; the writing itself left much to be desired; and I couldn't tell if it was simply of its time for academic writing or if Fixico's tone was purposefully grating and patronizing (ironic, given the thesis of the work).

[Andy Allord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, detailed although not as detailed as it could be.

[Reetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Termination and Relocation is really the first thorough account of a critical policy era in Native American history - even for that reason alone it's a great and detailed book. The reason I haven't given it 5 stars is simply that it is quite dated, having first been published in 1989. Newer research and sources have brought out more detailed knowledge on exactly how voluntary Termination was - for instance for the Oklahoma Choctaw - that in some cases contradicts Fixico's arguments. Nevertheless the overarching argument still holds that Termination was a failure both in terms of reaching government goals and the disastrous outcomes it held for Indians.