On June 2, 1924, Calvin Coolidge signed a law that read: "That all non citizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States."

100 years after Coolidge's enactment of what became known as the Indian Citizenship Act, how has the law influenced the quality of life of America's indigenous peoples? Have the legal rights of citizenship proven to be beneficial? Or was the law part of an assimilationist policy that created new obstacles to cultural preservation?

To explore the legacy of the Indian Citizenship Act, the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum is convening a panel of scholars with deep knowledge of Native American history and culture.

Panelists include:

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez (UMass Amherst)

Margaret Bruchac (University of Pennsylvania)

Rebecca Hamlin (UMass Amherst)

Kiara M. Vigil (Amherst College)

See calendar listing for extended bios on speakers 

The discussion will be moderated by Bill Scher, Vice President of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum Standing Committee.

In Person in the Coolidge Museum at Forbes Library and 

Live Stream via the Forbes Library You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XoMVR7SQ_U  

Recording will be available on You Tube following the program