Indian Country

Indian Country is a general term used to refer to anyplace where Native people live in communities, large or small. Before 1834, "Indian Country" referred to land in North America that was beyond the boundaries of European settlements, which by the 18th century generally referred to land west of the Appalachians. The 1834 Indian Intercourse Act designated "Indian Territory" as land west of the Mississippi River "to which the Indian title has not been extinguished." In 1948, the U.S. Congress defined "Indian Country" as federal reservations, "dependent Indian communities," and allotments of land with Indian title holders.