Indians and Indian Policy - Essay Example

Vince Deloria in his narrative highlights the issues of leadership and preservation of the Indian culture. Vince Deloria was a well known professor, leader and advocate for the Indian rights and cultural recognition. Deloria was a Standing Rock Sioux and he experienced firsthand the effect of government policies on the lives of native Indians. He wrote his narrative during his period as a professor and advocate of the native Indian rights. In the period between 1970 and 80, the Indian population experienced tremendous population growth that was not understood.

Immediately after the Second World War, the Indian people were given opportunities to be economically empowered through the Indian Re-organization Act. However, this did not endear other races and people to identify with the Indian race since other people enjoyed better services and economic benefits. During this period Indians felt no sense of personal worth in propagating their culture or sense of identity (Calloway 567). Deloria however explains that this trend started to change in the 1980’s when people wanted to be recognized as Indians whether it was to gain educational or economical benefits.

But this was the reason that endeared other races to becoming whites but it was the religious practice of the native Indians that made many white people to associate with the Indian culture. . However, Deloria delivers the message that native Indians can only solve their problems through use of the culture since they understand their problems better than other people. Native Indians have suffered the problem of genuine leadership which contributed to Indian discrimination. As a result, it is a high time for Indians to recall their culture and chase away imposters who do not understand Indian culture or problems as advocated by Deloria (Calloway, p.571). On the other hand, Wilma Mankiller was the first woman Cherokee chief narrates her experiences as the chief of a native Indian tribe.

In her story she highlights the challenges that the Cherokee people faced in living their lives normally in a country they were considered as minority ethnic group. Her early life prepared her for the role she was to engage in as a political leader among the Cherokee people. The lacklustre governmental policies gave her motivation to campaign and fight for the recognition of native Indian rights. Wilma wrote her stories so that she could share with future native Indians her story especially to the Indian women.

Wilma wrote her narrative during a period when native Indians were enjoying recognition from other people especially the majority white population in the US (Calloway 573). It was during this period that Indian tribes were given the opportunity to choose their own leaders who could manage their own affairs. The change in government policy and the new policy changes that recognized Indians gave an opportunity for Indian tribes to govern their own affairs. Moreover, Indians were now educated and were better placed to manage their own affairs as elucidated by Wilma.

The narrative told by Wilma is in fact true based on the real events that occurred