Cultural Assimilation

Definition

Cultural assimilation refers to a policy that aimed to make Native Americans adopt the customs, language, and way of life of white society during the late nineteenth century. It sought to erase indigenous cultures and traditions in favor of assimilating them into mainstream American culture.

Related terms

Dawes Act: A law passed in 1887 that aimed to break up tribal lands and distribute them among individual Native Americans with the goal of promoting farming and private land ownership.

Boarding Schools: These were government-run schools where Native American children were sent to live away from their families in order to be "civilized" by adopting Western practices.

Indian Citizenship Act (1924): This act granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the United States, but it did not fully restore their rights or solve ongoing issues related to assimilation.