Legal Definitions - Indian Territory

Indian Territory refers to a specific geographic region in the central United States, primarily encompassing what is now the state of Oklahoma. In the 19th century, the U.S. government designated this area as lands for the forced relocation of various Native American tribes, particularly those from the southeastern United States, such as the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. These removals, often traumatic, occurred largely between 1830 and 1843.

Over time, the U.S. government gradually acquired much of this land, opening it to non-Native American settlement. Ultimately, in 1907, the majority of Indian Territory, along with Oklahoma Territory, combined to form the modern state of Oklahoma.

• Example 1: A historian researching the "Trail of Tears" might explain that after enduring immense hardship and loss, the Cherokee Nation was forcibly resettled in what was then known as Indian Territory. This illustrates the territory's primary purpose as a destination for the U.S. government's policy of Native American removal.

• Example 2: When discussing the economic development of the American West in the late 19th century, an economist might point out that the land runs of the 1880s and 1890s, which opened vast tracts for settlement, primarily targeted lands within Indian Territory that had been acquired from various tribes. This demonstrates the gradual erosion of the territory's original purpose and its transition towards non-Native American settlement.

• Example 3: A legal scholar analyzing the evolution of tribal sovereignty might examine how, prior to Oklahoma statehood in 1907, the Choctaw Nation maintained its own court system and laws within its designated portion of Indian Territory. This highlights the period when distinct tribal governments exercised significant jurisdiction over their lands and people within the territory, before the full imposition of state and federal law.