Termination

Oregon Indian reservation lands came under attack after World War II. In a sharp reversal of the policies
established under Indian Commissioner John Collier during the 1930s, the federal government made
aggressive efforts to “get out of the Indian business” early in the war.
The termination was motivated in part by a belief that all people should be treated equally and that tribal
citizens had been treated differently - sometimes better, sometimes worse. How do we reconcile special
legislation for Indians with notions of equal treatment?