The American Pan-Indianlism Movement During The Progressive Era

The Society of American Indians,founded in Ohio in 1911,was not only the vital part of the American Pan-Indianism movement during the Progressive Era,but kicked off the 20 th century Pan-Indianism movement in the United States.As the first Indian right organization controlled by Indians in the United States,the SAI took a stand for Pan-Indianism and was active in the fields of Indian identity,Indian religion,and Indian reservation reform,influencing the struggle for right of American Indians in the 20 th century.The deep cause of the American Pan-Indianism movement during the Progressive Era rooted in the systemic discrimination faced by Indians during the Progressive Era,While dragged the young Indian generation off the reservation and endured the pain due to the assimilation movement,young Indians also combined the dual attributes of Christian and Indian cultures.The confusion of political identity was a situation that Indian intellectuals had to face when they entered American society.The Pan-Indianism movement in the United States during the Progressive Era was a direct result of the efforts of white reformers and the objective stimulus of the assimilation movement to the Pan-Indianism consciousness of the young Indian generation,which eventually led to the birth of the SAI.The first issue that the SAI faced from its inception was the choice between American national identity and Indian ethnic identity,which was manifested in its members’ pursuit of American citizenship.Although there were calls for Indian self-determination during World War I,the SAI made the choice of American national identity over Indian ethnic identity.The second issue that the SAI faced is the future of Indian culture.In the discussion on the image of the community,the members of the SAI fought against the image of the "Vanishing People" and also disagreed on the issue of whether the Peyote religion should inherit or discard because of the divergence in cultural standpoint.As for the reform of the reservation system,the SAI advocated for the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,while creatively proposing the reform of Indian industrialization,reservation autonomy and racial segregation abolishment.The Society of American Indians epitomizes the American Pan-Indianism movement of the Progressive Era,whose members chose to prioritize American national identity while finding solutions for the continuation of Indian culture and providing a way out for the future role of Indian culture in American society.