US citizenship was forced on Native Americans 100 years ago − its promise remains elusive

Indian boarding schools intentionally separated Native children from their families and taught them to be 'model American citizens.' Humboldt County Collection Photos. Special Collections, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt Library, CC BY-ND

The 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act has garnered little fanfare. Only a handful of news articles and events have commemorated the centennial of the law giving U.S. citizenship to Native Americans.

Perhaps that’s unsurprising. The legislation has little relevance to most American citizens, and many Native Americans were dismayed when President Calvin Coolidge signed it into law in June 1924.