Why did the U.S. government terminate federal support for some tribes during the 1950s?

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A dancer in a bright pink shawl with fringe, wearing traditional regalia adorned with blue and black accents, performs at an outdoor cultural event. — Native American November is the traditional time of harvest, gathering, and celebration in Native communities.

In the 1950s, the United States government pursued a policy of termination as part of a broader assimilationist agenda aimed at ending the special relationship between Native tribes and the federal government.1

Beginning in 1954, the U.S. Department of the Interior initiated this program by withdrawing federal services and trust supervision from tribes that the government deemed capable of managing their own affairs. Between 1954 and 1960, federal support was ended for 61 Indigenous nations.1

This policy had devastating consequences for many communities. Because the termination of federal support often included the loss of essential services like clinics and schools, many tribes were left in extreme poverty. Efforts to generate the capital necessary to replace these lost services frequently left tribes vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous business partners, leading to further impoverishment. Due to intense protests from tribal members and activists, the federal government began dismantling the termination program in 1960.1