“This map portrays the results of cases before the U.S. Indian Claims Commission or U.S. Court of Claims in which an American Indian tribe proved its original tribal occupancy of a tract within the continental United States. Each tract so established is outlined with a solid black line and the number in each tract refers to the Indian Land Area Map Index, where a citation of the case is given. A dashed line around the area indicates that the case was settled before an exact area was defined.” – Text, lower right. This large and vibrantly colored map reflects one of the darkest chapters in American history. The extermination and displacement of the indigenous population – millions of people – was a largely intentional action taken by the government of the United States and its representatives. The image shows later federal efforts to define the ‘original’ locations of the dozens of tribes, over 150 in total. A series of settlement acts was established in the 1970s and 1980s to attempt to determine these boundaries, crucial for tribal self-determination and economic empowerment. Though the map shows the Indian Lands as of 1978, this edition was published in 1993 by the United States Geological Survey.
