At the beginning of the twentieth century, there were approximately 270,000 Native Americans left in the United States. According to the 2000 Census, there are now four million Native Americans living in the United States. Better treatment of Native Americans is credited with this population increase. Discuss how the Indian Reorganization Act and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act aim to improve the lives of Native Americans in the United States.

Since the conquest of the American West, Native Americans had been forcefully (with the exception of the Five Civilized Tribes) assimilated into the culture of European Americans. They were to speak exclusively English, to dress and groom as European Americans and to be educated in European American Schools with an European American Education. Their lands had been seized an the remaining reservations were dwindling very quickly. Under the administration of Democratic president FDR (1930s and 40s), an "Indian New Deal" or Indian Reorganization Act started reversing such process. By giving Native Americans more control over their self-government, self-sovereignty and economic self-reliance. Tribe Elder Councils would now have legal powers to select and implement education that respected their ancient traditions and languages and oversight and administration of Native American lands.

In 1975 the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act was passed in order to transfer more powers to the Elder Councils of federally recognized native American tribes so that they could have more control on the funds, grants and programs from the Federal government that gave them more control over their health, education and welfare. The way it works is that this law authorizes government officials and agencies to conclude agreements with the tribes that provide them control over the federal funds they receive for the betterment of their constituencies.