Colonial context and age group relations among plains Indians.

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Sociology
• American Indian Studies

Background:

• Federal policies towards American Indians historically included paternalism (protection and supervision) and assimilation.
• Both policy approaches negatively affected the influence and prestige of elderly American Indians.
• The Arapaho people, divided into northern (Wyoming) and southern (Oklahoma) groups, experienced different federal policy executions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of federal policies on the status and role of elderly Arapaho in Wyoming and Oklahoma from the 1870s to the present.
• To analyze how paternalism versus assimilation policies influenced the authority and prestige of elders within Arapaho society.

Main Methods:

• Comparative historical analysis of federal policies impacting the Wyoming (northern) and Oklahoma (southern) Arapaho.
• Examination of the social and economic roles of elders, focusing on religious ritual direction and family subsistence contributions.

Main Results:

• Elderly Arapaho in Oklahoma, subjected to assimilation, hold less authority and prestige compared to those in Wyoming.
• The diminished role of Oklahoma elders is linked to the execution of assimilation policies, which undermined their direction of native religious rituals.
• While economic contributions of elders were more impacted in Oklahoma, the retention of authority by Wyoming elders was significantly tied to their continued direction of religious rituals.

Conclusions:

• Federal assimilation policies have had a more detrimental effect on the status and roles of elderly American Indians compared to paternalistic approaches.
• The ability of elders to direct native religious rituals is a critical factor in maintaining their authority and prestige within the community.
• Policy outcomes significantly shape the social standing and functional importance of elders in Indigenous societies.