06/02/2026
Today marks the 102nd anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, also known as the Snyder Act, which granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans born in the United States.
This history is deeply connected to NCAI’s own legacy of advancing Native citizenship. In 1923, Ruth Muskrat Bronson, a Cherokee Nation citizen, young student, and advocate, addressed President Calvin Coolidge at the White House and called for Native Americans to be recognized as U.S. citizens while preserving “the best that is our own civilization.” The following year, President Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act into law. Decades later, Bronson went on to serve as NCAI’s first Executive Secretary, Treasurer, editor of The Washington Bulletin, and a lifelong advocate for Tribal Nations.
However, federal law did not immediately guarantee full civic participation. Many Native people continued to be denied access to the ballot in states across the country. Miguel Trujillo, an activist, veteran, and citizen of Isleta Pueblo, was instrumental in the 1948 landmark case Trujillo v. Garley, which helped secure voting rights for Tribal citizens in New Mexico. Still, attacks on Native voting rights continue today.
As we reflect on this history, NCAI honors the generations of Native leaders, veterans, advocates, and communities who fought for citizenship, equal access to voting, self-determination, and the protection of Tribal sovereignty.
We also thank those who continue this work today to ensure access to the ballot box, full participation in the democratic process, and protection of the fundamental rights of Tribal citizens.