Indian Reorganization Act

The Indian Reorganization Act (Wheeler-Howard Act) was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 18, 1934. This landmark legislation reversed decades of assimilation policies, particularly the General Allotment Act of 1887 (Dawes Act). It ended the practice of allotting tribal lands to individuals, established a process for land restoration to tribal ownership, recognized tribal governments, and provided economic assistance to Native American communities. Championed by Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier, it became the centerpiece of what was known as the "Indian New Deal."