The Reaction To and the Importance of Henry Dawes, and the Dawes Act, to Green Grass Running Water Charles Spencer 9th Grade

The Relation To and the Importance of Henry Dawes, and the Dawes Act, to Green Grass, Running Water

Henry Dawes was not culturally enlightened, especially when it came to American Indians. Although as a US Senator, Dawes was very involved in Indian policy, and he penned the historically renowned Dawes Act. The act shaped the lives of Indians all over the country, changing them in favor of white Americans, and effectively complicating Indian living. Famously quoted for defining civility, Dawes is a target of ridicule for contemporary author Thomas King. King’s culturally loaded novel, Green Grass, Running Water, uses as an integral part of the narrative, and a target for simple humor.

Henry Dawes was politically very active during his lifetime. After attending Yale Law, he served both as a House Representative and a Senator in the State Legislature of Massachusetts. He was also involved in written media as an editor for two local newspapers, a skill that would prove useful to him in the future. In 1975, Dawes was elected to the United States Senate, a position which he held for two subsequent terms. During his time as a Republican Senator, he was a member of the Committee on Indian Affairs, the position that poised him to draft...