Bureau of Indian Affairs building takeover

rdf:langString Bureau of Indian Affairs building takeover

rdf:langString The Bureau of Indian Affairs building takeover refers to a protest by Native Americans at the Department of the Interior headquarters in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. from November 3 to November 9, 1972. On November 3, a group of around 500 American Indians with the American Indian Movement (AIM) took over the Interior building in Washington, D.C. It was the culmination of their cross-country journey in the Trail of Broken Treaties, intended to bring attention to American Indian issues such as living standards and treaty rights. A group of protesters went to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices at the national headquarters building, intending to negotiate for better housing on reservations and other related issues. Protesters began the siege after interpreting a government refusal of their demands as a double cross. Protesters defied a federal court order to leave the building after the first night of the occupation. The takeover quickly gained national media attention. Protesters overturned tables and desks against windows, fortifying against potential police attack. Some set fires in interior offices and the marble lobbies, destroying many historic documents. The demonstrators started to run out of provisions after several days. They would not allow police or any government representative to approach the building, so two children of BIA employees were recruited to bring in provisions. After a week, the protesters left, some taking documents with them, having caused an estimated $700,000 in damages. The Washington Post claimed that the destruction and theft of records could set them back 50 to 100 years. President Richard M. Nixon had an interest in promoting tribal sovereignty, as he had ended the termination of tribes that was part of 1950s policy. Interested in the decentralization of government, Nixon fundamentally agreed that tribes should manage their operations. After the BIA takeover, he signed a law to restore one tribe to federally recognized status and supported legislation that offered tribes control over their own operations and programs.