Introduction (Part 3)

A number of significant Indian organizations on the national level have been created by Indian people of all tribes in the years since Embree's book was written. In 1944 the National Congress of American Indians was established to consider legislation and legal matters affecting tribes in their relationships with the federal government. The N.C.A.I. has grown to be a large and capable organization. It has several thousand Indian and white members, and 132 Indian tribes hold membership. The National Congress of American Indians has been instrumental in protecting Indian rights over the last two decades and has been responsible for many constructive changes in federal policy.

In 1962 the National Indian Youth Council was formed. By 1970, with a membership of nearly a thousand, it had become the major voice for Indian college students. In 1964 the N.I.Y.C. sponsored the famous Indian "Fish-Ins" in the state of Washington  thus ushering in the era of Indian nationalism and "Red Power. Two members of the N.I.Y.C. have gone on to become Executive Directors of the National Congress of American Indians, indicating the natural process of development of Indian leadership from youth to full tribal responsibilities.

Navajo Tribe

Intertribal councils also have flourished in the time since Embree wrote his book. Today tribes have banded together in sixteen states to form these councils for cooperative work on the state level. In addition, there are nearly thirty regional organizations that provide services in every area of Indian life. All of these developments were beyond the vision of people writing books a generation ago; Embree could hardly have anticipated such development along political lines.

Oglala Sioux

The Indians of Oklahoma have not fared as well as Embree originally anticipated. Land has continued to slip out of Indian hands, and the peoples of the various tribes have largely moved away from their original reservation areas in search of employment. The Navajo tribe of Arizona has increased far beyond Embree's expectations. He listed Navajo population at 45'000 in 1939, and today, thirty-one years later, it is in excess of 132'000 and still rapidly expanding. In 1936 the official total Indian populations was listed as 344'000, and today the federal government claims a reservation population of 380'000, indicating that migration has not reduced reservation population in the interim. today a reasonable estimation of the Indian population would be in excess of one million people. Reservation Indians make up only 400'000 of that total, former reservation residents now dwelling in the urban areas and small towns of the nation something in excess of 500'000 and the surviving groups of Indians east of the Mississippi nearly 100'000. (This contrasts with Embree's original estimate that the eastern seaboard had been practically wiped clear of Indians.)

The chapters on the Oglala Sioux and Iroquois end on a sad note. Embree found that the original cultural basis of these tribes had vanished, traditions were waning, and the people longed for the lonesome life of the plains and woodlands hunting days. The situation is much brighter today. The Oglala Sioux have revived their customs, including the traditional Sun Dance. They have repurchased significant amounts of their original reservation land base and begun a number of progressive projects designed to increase the community life on the reservation. Today they are one of the most aggressive tribes in the nation.