The Native American: Acculturation is the Dominant Force

Acculturation is the driving force behind Native culture, despite centuries of historical effort to assimilate this culture. Assimilation policy has tried to force Native Americans to be part of dominant Western culture, yet the cultural group has coped with changes thrust upon them, and emerge in the twentieth century as a culture that Western society has come to respect. Examination of the cultural tradition of the powwow and the dances and rituals associated with it reveals Native American culture is alive and strong. The presence of the powwow in modern-day society effectively illustrates that the goal of total assimilation of the Native American by white society has failed. Acculturation, rather than assimilation is the active force behind the life of the Native American.
The Dawes Act of 1887 can be viewed as white America’s first formal effort to assimilate the Native American. The Dawes Act was aimed at opening the doors for Natives
to enter mainstream society, with t...