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The Indian Citizenship Act, or Snyder Act, of 1924 marked a pivotal moment in American history, granting Native Americans citizenship and paving the way for their voting rights. As we approach the centennial of this landmark legislation, the US Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) invites you to join us for a scholarly symposium dedicated to exploring the complexities of Native American suffrage, citizenship, and sovereignty.
The symposium, hosted by USCHS and partner organizations, is a hybrid event featuring three panel discussions and a lunchtime conversation with leading scholars and practitioners. Our central goal is to represent a balance of federal, academic, tribal, and advocacy viewpoints and a diversity of regional perspectives.
Capitol Campus, Room TBA
Washington, DC 20002
- Virtual Livestreamed Video
On June 2, 1924, Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, also known as the Snyder Act, which granted citizenship to all “Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States.” Determining who is a citizen, and thus who is and is not a part of and protected by the nation, has never been a simple, straightforward process. Within the context of Native American history, citizenship to the United States is even more complex, adding questions of tribal sovereignty, land use, and access to suffrage. This Symposium uses the Indian Citizenship Act as a starting point from which to highlight broader complicated discourses on historical and modern issues of citizenship, sovereignty, and suffrage.
Native American Citizenship, Suffrage, and Sovereignty in History
Native American Representation
Suffrage, Activism, & the Law Today
Sovereignty in the 21st Century
Panel 1:
Historians will discuss the history of Native American citizenship, suffrage, and sovereignty in the United States as it relates to and beyond the Snyder Act.
Lunchtime Conversation:
A lunchtime conversation with individuals in community-facing roles about Native American representation in predominant national narratives.
Panel 2:
Panelists will discuss contemporary suffrage, activist, and legal efforts today made by Native American groups. This panel asks: what challenges to suffrage still exist and how are communities advocating for and creating change?
Panel 3:
Panelists will reflect on Native American sovereignty in the 21st Century. This panel will bring together leaders in their respective fields to discuss shifting relationships between Tribal Nations and the Federal Government.
Discover the heart of American history with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society! Founded in 1962, the Society has proudly worked to preserve and share the history of the Capitol, the Congress, and the people who work therein. As a nonpartisan, educational 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Society was chartered by Congress in 1978, in part, “to foster and increase an informed patriotism.” In service of this mission, the Society conducts historical tours of the Capitol Building, hosts both virtual and in-person public history programming, publishes scholarly research in various aspects of Capitol History, coordinates a digital civics education resource hub for teachers, manages a renowned civics education field trip program for Title I D.C. public school students, and commissions works of fine art for the Capitol collections.
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Washington, D.C. 20002
p. 202-543-8919
p. 800-887-9318
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