Policy Pendulum Anchor Chart US Government / Civics Ref: 11-12.CIV.4.A
The Policy Pendulum
Federal Indian Policy & Tribal Sovereignty (1887 – Present)
Assimilation
Breaking down tribes to absorb individuals into the U.S.
Sovereignty
Recognizing tribes as distinct, self-governing nations.
1887 – 1934
Allotment & Assimilation
Goal: Break up tribal lands; force individual farming/citizenship.
Mechanism: Dawes Act (1887).
1934 – 1953
The Indian New Deal
Goal: Strengthen tribal governments; end land sales.
Mechanism: Indian Reorganization Act (1934).
1953 – 1970
Termination & Relocation
Goal: Cut federal costs; "liberate" tribes from government ties.
Mechanism: HCR 108 (The Termination Act).
1970 – Present
Restoration & Self-Determ.
Goal: Re-establish recognition; tribal self-governance.
Mechanism: Menominee Restoration Act (1973).
What is Sovereignty?
The inherent right of a nation to govern itself. For Tribal Nations, this is not "granted" by the U.S.—it is pre-existing and confirmed by treaties.
Levy Taxes
Create Laws
Define Borders
Form Courts
The Menominee Case
The Trigger: Economic success with their lumber mill made them a target for federal budget cuts.
The "Equal Rights" Ruse: Policies were framed as giving Native Americans the "same rights" as white citizens, but used as a legal weapon to strip tribal status and land protections.
The Result: Immediate economic collapse, closure of hospitals, and loss of tribal identity until the 1973 Restoration.
"Against all odds, we invented a new policy: Restoration." — Ada Deer
Sovereignty Pendulum Worksheet The Sovereignty Pendulum
Federal Indian Policy Analysis
Name:
Date:
Part 1: The Menominee Case Study
As you watch the clips from The Termination Act Explained , answer the following questions to understand the specific impact of federal policy on the Menominee Nation.
1. Describe the economic state of the Menominee Tribe in 1952. What specific assets or successes did they have?
2. Senator Arthur V. Watkins used a "bait and switch" tactic. What were the tribal members told they were voting for, and what was actually attached to that vote?
3. In the video, it's mentioned that "freedom" for the Menominee meant the end of sovereignty. How did the closing of hospitals and schools demonstrate the loss of this "freedom"?
Part 2: The Policy Pendulum
Federal Indian policy shifts between Assimilation (trying to erase tribal identity) and Sovereignty (recognizing tribal independence). Work with your group to complete the timeline below.
Era & Policy Federal Government's Goal Impact on Tribes Allotment & Assimilation (1887 – 1934) Indian Reorganization (1934 – 1953) Termination & Relocation (1953 – 1970) Restoration (1970 – Present)
Synthesis Discussion:
"You don't have to accept the policies, you can work to change them." — Ada Deer. How does the era of Restoration prove this quote? Use one specific piece of evidence from the video.
Sovereignty Pendulum Exit Ticket Exit Ticket
Name
Date
In your own words, explain how the phrase "equal rights" was used as a tool to actually harm the Menominee tribe during the Termination Era.
The Sovereignty Pendulum
Exit Ticket
Name
Date
In your own words, explain how the phrase "equal rights" was used as a tool to actually harm the Menominee tribe during the Termination Era.
The Sovereignty Pendulum
Sovereignty Pendulum Presentation Government & Civics
The Sovereignty
Pendulum
Analyzing the legal destruction and restoration of tribal nations.
Unit: Federalism & Tribal Law
Warm-up
Define: "Sovereignty"
"The inherent right of a nation to govern itself."
Question:
What specific rights does a sovereign nation possess?
Taxes
Laws
Borders
Courts
The "Policy Pendulum"
Assimilation
Merging tribes into the U.S. mainstream by force.
Sovereignty
Recognizing tribes as separate political nations.
Clip 1: The Menominee Success
0:00 - 0:38
Embedded media
Focus Question
Why did the Menominee's economic success make them a "target"?
Policy Reality
Success = "Ready" to lose federal support in the eyes of Congress.
The "Freedom" Ruse
Senator Watkins and Congress argued that Termination would give Native Americans "equal rights" and the "same privileges" as other citizens.
The Argument:
"You are second-class citizens if you have a special relationship with the government. Let us liberate you!"
The Reality:
The "rights" they already had (sovereignty, treaty rights, land protection) were being traded for a tax bill they couldn't pay.
Clip 2: The Menominee Disaster
5:10 - 7:00
Embedded media
What was lost immediately after the vote?
Hospitals Schools Tribal Status Land Protection
Small Group Activity
Mapping the Policy Pendulum
Your Task:
1 Identify the Federal Goal for each era.
2 Analyze the Impact on tribal sovereignty.
3 Predict where the pendulum might swing next.
20:00
Work Time
Restoration
Ada Deer and the Menominee "invented" a new policy: Restoration.
By 1973, through relentless petitioning and legal activism, they forced the U.S. government to reverse course.
"You don't have to accept the policies, you can work to change them."
— Ada Deer
Sovereignty Pendulum Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Answer Key
The Sovereignty Pendulum: Tribal Recognition & Termination
Grade 11-12
Instructional Flow
0-5 min: Warm-up. Focus on the "bundle of rights" that come with sovereignty. Use the board to list powers (taxing, law-making, etc.).5-20 min: Video & Discussion. Use the presentation slides. Pause at the time-stamps to ensure students are capturing the "bait and switch" concept.20-40 min: Pendulum Activity. Students work in groups using the Anchor Chart as a reference to complete the Worksheet timeline.40-45 min: Closure. Collect Exit Tickets.
Key Discussion Prompt
"How can a policy that promises 'equality' actually result in a loss of rights?"
Encourage students to look past the rhetoric to the legal outcome: the loss of land protection and self-governance.
Worksheet Key: Menominee Case Study
1. Economic state in 1952:
Thriving. They had a profitable lumber mill, were self-sustainable, and had just won an $8.5 million legal settlement from the US government. They had a strong social safety net (hospitals, schools).
2. The "Bait and Switch":
Tribal members thought they were voting simply to receive the $8.5 million settlement money they were already owed. Senator Watkins attached a provision that said accepting the money meant accepting Termination (ending their tribal status).
3. Loss of "Freedom":
Without federal recognition, the reservation became a county with no tax base. The "freedom" to be like other citizens meant they lost the federal funding for their hospital and schools, causing them to close immediately and plunging the community into poverty.
Worksheet Key: The Policy Pendulum
Era Federal Government Goal Impact on Tribes Allotment Break up tribal land into individual plots; force assimilation into white farming culture. Massive land loss; erosion of communal tribal identity and governance. Reorganization Strengthen tribal governments; stop the loss of land; provide federal support for tribal biz. Tribes began rebuilding governments and economies; swing toward sovereignty. Termination Cut federal costs; end special legal status of tribes; assimilate Natives into cities.
