LAD #19


The Dawes Act was enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in order to give individual Native Americans allotments of reservations. Section one of the act says that the President is able to survey the Native American land and divide it. Section two explains that each Native American will be able to choose an allotment and the family will choose for the underage child. In addition, an orphan's land will be choosen by a Native American agent. Section three goes on to say that this agent must certify the allotment and make two copies of the certification and send it to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Section four says that Natives who are not on their reservation or do not have one will receive one. Section five states that the Secretary of Interior will hold these reservations for 25 years and will be able to purchase and make treaties for not alloted land. Section six states that when one completes a Land Patent he or she will receive rights of a citizen of the United States. Section Seven goes on about water rights and irrigated land and section eight exempts the Five Civilized Tribes from the act. Section nine discusses the funds necessary for the act while section 10 goes into the "Power of eminent domain. " Finally section eleven states that nothing in this act will prevent their removal of the Southern Ute Native Americans from the reservation of Southwestern, Colorado.