American Indian Citizenship Day 2024 will be marked on June 2. This annual commemoration gives the American Indians a chance to remember the history of the country, their journey towards being recognised as American Indians and getting access to citizenship duties like voting, etc. It allows them to address key issues and challenges they continue to face. The celebration of American Indian Citizenship Day is often filled with various fun activities and observances by the American Indians. As we celebrate American Indian Citizenship Day 2024, here is everything you need to know about this day, the history of American Indian Citizenship Day and more.

When is American Indian Citizenship Day 2024?

American Indian Citizenship Day 2024 will be marked on June 2. This annual commemoration is focused on raising awareness about the journey of Indians in America when they were finally recognised as citizens of the country and the struggles they faced to reach here.

History of American Indian Citizenship Day

The celebration of American Indian Citizenship Day actually marks the anniversary of when the Indian Citizenship Act by Congress granted citizenship to all American Indians born in the U.S. back in 1924. While the 14th Amendment of 1865 guaranteed birthright citizenship to native-born Americans, this was interpreted as not applying to Native Americans. The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act) allowed American Indians to become citizens, but only when individuals registered and accepted the division of reservation land into privately owned lots. This led to more than 90 million acres of land of the Native Americans being lost as they chose to apply for citizenship. It was only in 1924 that this was finally changed.

While the journey and struggles of Native Indians in America have often been ignored or brushed aside, observances like American Indian Citizenship Day allow people to address and accept it and find ways of moving forward. Here’s hoping that this American Indian Citizenship Day, you do your bit to understand the journey of Native Americans through the forming of America.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2024 11:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).