The Tragedy of the Indians of California

This research was undertaken because of my interest in the tragic experiences of Native Americans upon the arrival of the Europeans. The native peoples of what is California today holds a particular interest because of their already small population that further declined with the arrival of whites upon the discovery of gold. This paper is an effort to examine the role of the Federal Government in the tragedy of the Indians of California. The Federal Government believed its intentions were benevolent from treaty making, to assimilating the Indians of California into white society as will be discussed through the construction of military reservations. The results of these “benevolent” intentions however, were further depopulation on the part of the Indians. A critique of the Federal Indian policy in California beginning with the negotiated treaties and followed by the reservation systems will evaluate the merit of the government's intentions and how the tragic consequences on the part of the Indians proved the inability of the Federal Government to provide a clear policy towards the native peoples of California