Delegation representing 20,000 Californian Indians meeting with Senator Hiram Johnson, 1922

One way American Indians have worked to gain civil rights is by petitioning Members of Congress as the representatives of 300 tribes did when they met with Senator Hiram Johnson in 1922.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Delegation representing 20,000 Californian Indians meeting with Senator Hiram Johnson, 1922

Description

Treaties between the United States government and American Indian tribes have been broken numerous times. In 1922, eight men, representing 300 tribes, met with United States Senator Hiram Johnson. The goal of the representatives was to petition Congress to recognize and honor treaties from 1851 and 1852.

Source-Dependent Questions

Based on your knowledge of the United States government, why would meeting with a Member of Congress be beneficial to a group of citizens in regard to expanding their civil rights?
There is a long and complicated relationship between the United States government and American Indian tribes. Study the photograph, including the items on the table. Propose your own theory about how the American Indians in the photo were trying to persuade Senator Johnson to honor the treaties of 1851 and 1852. Why would they want those treaties to be honored?
Where could you look to find out if the Americans Indians in the photo were successful in their petition to get Congress to honor the treaties? What else would you like to learn?

Citation Information

Delegation representing 20,000 Californian Indians meeting with Senator Hiram Johnson. [Washington, D.C.: National Photo Company] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.