November 8, 1972
The Trail of Broken Treaties (also known as the Pan American Native Quest for Justice), a cross-country protest in the United States by American Indian and First Nations organizations, reached its destination at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC, a week before the presidential election. It was designed to bring attention to American Indian issues, such as treaty rights, living standards, and inadequate housing. The Nixon Administration refused to meet with the protesters to receive the Twenty-Point Position paper, creating a conflict that culminated with the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building by participants. Ultimately the stand-off ended, with the federal government making concessions to the protesters, and including further treaty negotiations.
