The Indian Citizenship Act Made Native People Citizens in 1924, but Arizona and New Mexico Barred Them From Voting Until 1948 and Utah Until 1957
The Fact
The Indian Citizenship Act, signed June 2, 1924, declared all non-citizen Indians born within U.S. territory to be citizens. Voting was left to the states. Arizona's Supreme Court struck down its bar on Native voters in Harrison v. Laveen (1948), and a federal court struck down New Mexico's in Trujillo v. Garley (1948), brought by World War II Marine veteran Miguel Trujillo of Isleta Pueblo. Utah kept Native people living on reservations from voting until 1957.
What This Means
For 24 to 33 years after becoming citizens, Native people in some states could be drafted and taxed but not vote. Trujillo had served in the war and still couldn't cast a ballot at home.
Why It Matters
The colonists' complaint was taxation without representation (BSF-0365). Native citizens lived with a version of it into the Eisenhower years.
Sources
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (43 Stat. 253). National Archives, DocsTeach. https://docsteach.org/documents/document/indian-citizenship-act
Harrison v. Laveen, 67 Ariz. 337, 196 P.2d 456 (1948).
Trujillo v. Garley, Civ. No. 1353 (D.N.M. Aug. 11, 1948).
Lee, Morgan. "100 years ago, US citizenship for Native Americans came without voting rights in swing states." Associated Press via KUNC, June 5, 2024. https://www.kunc.org/news/2024-06-05/100-years-ago-us-citizenship-for-native-americans-came-without-voting-rights-in-swing-states
Related Facts
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- What's the Largest Tribe in the U.S.? Cherokee — About 1.5 Million People.
- How Much Land Did Tribes Lose Under Allotment? About 90 Million Acres in 47 Years.
- How Many Native Children Were Taken From Their Families Before 1978? 25% to 35%.