The Society of American Indians and the “Indian question,” 1911–1923
The Society of American Indians and the “Indian question,” 1911–1923

Summary/Abstract: The Society of American Indians was established in 1911 as the first Pan-Indian organization with the aim of peaceful fighting for the rights of Indian nations in the United States in the first decades of the twentieth century. Functioning in the so-called “Era of Progress”, the Society proposed a number of postulates pertaining to the reform of the “Indian question”, which constituted one of the burning issues of the twentieth century America. Its main activists: Charles Eastman, Carlos Montezuma, Arthur Parker, and Sherman Coolidge worked out a program of reforms, which first of all, called for the assimilation of the Indian population, so that they could adjust to the conditions of American social and political life. Opposing the system of reservations, the Society appealed to the indigenous people for loyalty towards the American authorities, promoted a model of education based on the American system, and opted for giving Indians full citizenship.

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