Which one of the following would be most consistent with the policy of readjustment described in the passage?

Naz November 4, 2013

Lines 4-11 "Because the increased awareness of civil rights in these decades helped reinforce the belief that life on reservations prevented Native Americans from exercising the rights guaranteed to citizens under the United States Constitution, the readjustment movement advocated the end of the federal government's involvement in Native American affairs and encouraged the assimilation of Native Americans as individuals in mainstream society."

Here we are being told that there is an increased awareness that life on reservations is not good for the concerns and rights of the Native Americans. Therefore, to remedy this the BIA made efforts to encourage Native Americans to assimilate into mainstream society, taking in and understanding mainstream ideas and culture; such as owning your own land and paying real estate taxes (lines 22-23).

The question stem asks which would be most consistent with the policy of readjustment. So, it's not that the passage clearly states answer choice (C), rather that the information in the passage goes along with it the best. Moving from reservations to urban homes would go best, of the answer choices, with assimilation to mainstream culture.

(A) is incorrect because having a "tribal system of elected government" does not go along with assimilation into mainstream American culture.

(B) is incorrect because preserving Native American language goes in the opposite direction to assimilation to mainstream culture.

(C) is the CORRECT answer because moving to urban areas does go along with a more mainstream culture. This is consistent with less individualization as Native Americans and more assimilation into the mainstream American society.

(D) is incorrect because it doesn't most consistently go with the policy of readjustment. Restoring Native American lands to their original tribes moves farther away from the idea of assimilating to mainstream society.

(E) is incorrect because again this goes in the opposite direction of "readjustment." This answer choice does not head us into assimilating to mainstream society.

Hope that was helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Batman November 6, 2013

Now I come to know I need to be more careful in dealing with the question stems containing "most." Thank you so much!!!

Morad June 8, 2020

I'm confused on this question. Based on the explanation above, it assumes that Native Americans aren't already living in urban locations. Why can't reservations have urban homes within them? There's nothing about the passage that makes reservations and urban homes exclusive.

Furthermore, based on the passage, the motivation is was to empower Native Americans by ending government's management of their affairs. The policy of readjustment was to accomplish this by transferring land/property rights back to the Native Americans (which they refused). Granted, giving lands to the original tribes is unclear what an "original" tribe is.
However, based on my understanding typed above, answer choice D seems most consistent with the policy of readjustment.
Please let me know if my understanding of the passage is incomplete or inaccurate.

Morad June 8, 2020

I feel that this answer choice also contradicts the answer choice in question 12 in suggests that the advocates of the policy of readjustment would support having the government no more involved in the affairs of Native Americans that any other citizen. Wouldn't moving Native Americans from wherever they're living to urban homes be a kind of extra-involvement (assuming they're not already on urban homes)?

Also, if they're to be assimilated, why does moving to urban homes make one assimilated in America? America is not exclusive comprised of urban housing since there's suburban and rural homes as well. Would these people living there need to be transferred to urban homes as well to be assimilated?

Victoria June 16, 2020

Hi @Morad,

Based on lines 8 to 12, the readjustment movement had two goals: (1) advocate for the end of the federal government's involvement in Native American affairs; and (2) encourage the assimilation of Native Americans as individuals into mainstream society.

These goals were influenced by the belief that living on reservations prevented Native Americans from exercising the rights constitutionally guaranteed to American citizens (lines 4 to 8).

Therefore, the readjustment movement was focused on "saving" Native Americans who were living on reservations as it was thought that assimilating into mainstream society would allow them to fully exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights.

You are correct that there is nothing in the passage which suggests that there are no urban homes on reservations; however, answer choice (C) focuses on programs encouraging Native Americans to move from reservations to urban areas.

Moving to urban areas from reservations would be an essential step in assimilation as Native Americans would no longer be geographically separated from mainstream society.

There is nothing in the passage to support that the motivation behind the readjustment movement was to "empower" Native Americans. We know that the movement aimed to help Native Americans exercise their constitutional rights. This does not necessarily mean that they wanted to "empower" Native Americans, especially as one of their goals was to encourage the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream society. While this could be considered "empowerment" from one perspective, the movement has its roots embedded in a deeply colonial worldview within which there is only one type of empowerment i.e. exercising the rights guaranteed to citizens.

As for transferring land/property rights back to Native Americans, this was one way in which the BIA attempted to convince the Oneida to accept the policy of readjustment. This does not necessarily mean that transferring lands back to all Native Americans would support the goals of the readjustment movement. While it would end the federal government's involvement in Native American affairs to an extent, it would not result in assimilation nor would it necessarily assist in allowing Native Americans to exercise their rights outside those rights guaranteed to property owners.

Therefore, answer choice (D) is incorrect because it does not support both of the goals of the readjustment movement. Answer choice (C) does support both goals as encouraging the movement of Native Americans to urban areas would end federal involvement in Native American affairs as they would be assimilated and would be no more involved with the federal government than the average American citizen.

While America is not just urban areas, encouraging Native Americans to move to urban areas would contribute to their assimilation as they would be integrated with mainstream society to the fullest extent possible i.e. one can interact with the aspects and institutions of American society more frequently and to a greater extent living in an urban as opposed to a rural area (for the most part). There would be no need to transfer American citizens from rural areas to urban areas as they would still be able to exercise their individual rights.

Finally, the federal government was not moving Native Americans themselves. Rather, answer choice (C) suggests the development of a policy encouraging Native Americans to move to urban areas. While this would still be federal involvement, it would be less all-encompassing than the more supervisory role the federal government assigned itself with regard to reservations.

Try not to become too invested in any one particular passage. Focus on developing the underlying skills and understanding why you may have answered any one question incorrectly.

Hope this is helpful! Please let us know if you have any further questions.