American Indian Citizenship

Most Americans don't realize that American Indians weren't considered U.S. citizens until Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, which was signed into law by President Coolidge on June 2, 1924. This year is the 84th anniversary of that citizenship being granted to all American Indians who were born in the U.S.

The act was passed in recognition of American Indian men who fought in World War I alongside non-Indian Americans, while not being American citizens. American Indians were the last minority group given citizenship, despite American Indian children being born within the boundaries of the U.S. since nationhood in 1781. Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians presumably received citizenship with the advent of their statehood, if not before.

Some Indians received U.S. citizenship earlier. The Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee Creek and Seminoles) in what later became Oklahoma were made U.S. citizens by congressional act in 1901 as part of the American policy to terminate the tribes and make a new state.

With Congress having plenary authority over American Indians, American Indians remain the only race for whom citizenship could be removed by congressional act.

Despite the Act, most Indians were denied the right to vote, however, until the 1950s. With Jim Crow laws in some states applying to all people of color, it might have extended for some well into the 1960s.