ued two executive orders concerning the advancement of Indian religions, which proved to be very controversial. According to Kenneth R. Phelps, “[t]hese orders struck at the heart of missionary work on the reservations and brought a storm of protest from both Indians and whites.” Close to a thousand Sioux parents sent a petition to Eleanor Roosevelt protesting Collier’s actions. In Oklahoma, twelve different denominations, representing Indian and non-Indians, staged protests accusing Collier of trying to suppress their missionary work. The bulk of the criticisms levied against the Indian New Deal were aimed at John Collier’s attempt to end land allotment and extend self-government to Native Americans. Despite his respect for Indian culture, Collier had an idealistic, monolithic view of Native American societies. He formulated policies based on experiences with Pueblo and Navajo tribes who had highly integrated communities. Therein, lay the inherent flaw of the Indian New Deal. In reality, most tribes had no “tradition of centralized control.” Consequently, when Collier rolled out his plan for Indian self-government, opposition would prove strong from Indians and non-Indians alike.Members of the Arapaho tribe rejected the concept of communal property and self-government, considering them foreign to their culture. Many in the Navajo tribe objected to provisions in the IRA that allowed the Department of Interior to dictate the number of livestock that could graze on Indian land. Cherokees in North Carolina had already incorporated under state laws and did not see any need to change. Joseph Bruner, a full-blood Creek Indian and president of the American Indian Federation was quite vocal in his criticisms. He argued that the IRA would retard assimilation, segregate Indians and promote racial hatred. Bruner went so far as accusing Collier of being a communist. Finally, many Indians were suspicious of thes...
