In order to compare and contrast the American “Reservations” to the South

African “Homelands”, and understand the concept of segregation, you must first

understand what were the Homelands/Reservations, why they were made, who it affects,

but most importantly what is symbolizes. The American Indian Reservation is an area of

land managed by a Native American Tribe, established by treaty or decree. The South

African Homelands were independent states to which each African was assigned by the

government according to the record of origin.

Racial Segregation in South Africa started with the Apartheid laws in 1948. These

laws controlled every aspect of social life. People were denied certain jobs, and blacks

weren’t allowed to marry whites. They were forced out of their home by the Boers who

controlled the government, to a new state called the “Homelands”. Political rights weren’t

given outside their Homelands. In 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black South

African president, and the Apartheid system officially ended. The isolation and

concentration of American Indians began in the 1830’s with the Indian Removal Act.

They were forced to relocate west of the Mississippi. As more and more Europeans

would come into the United States during the 1800’s, tribes such as the Cherokee were

forced to move further west. There are still 300 Indian reservations in the United States,

but Indians aren’t forced to stay there.

The South African Homelands and the American Indian reservations have many

different qualities. One of the major differences is the segregation between race and

ethnicity. In South Africa people were identified as black, white or mixed. This is known

as racial segregation. An American Indian tribe is an ethnicity. When Andrew Johnson

signed the Indian Removal act he was discriminating against different ethnicities. While
the Apartheid system was only in one country, the Indian Removal act applied to

American Indian tribes all over the Eastern part of the country. This leads to the second

major difference, language. During the racial segregation in South Africa there were only

two major languages spoken. English and Africaan. That means that the language of the

country was also segregated. Every American Indian tribe speaks a completely different

language, because they have never had contact, due to the distance separation. When the

American Indians were forced to move west , part of their language diffused throughout

the country. Parts of the Seminole language can be seen in Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Lastly, the American Indians had absolutely no autonomy, unlike the South African

Homelands, who still had political rights, such as voting, inside of their state. These

Native American tribes were forced to work as farmers, in order to produce a surplus of

food making money. The main differences between the South African Homelands, and

the American Reservations is the discrimination of race rather than ethnicity, language,

and autonomy.

Despite all the differences, these Reservations and Homelands are very much

alike. Both share the similar traits of European colonization, incompliance to laws, and

Identity. These American Indians were forced to move west because of all the immigrants

coming from Europe, who were colonizing the lands. The same scenario happened in

South Africa. South Africa was colonized by the English and the Dutch in the 17th

century. After several conflicts, the Dutch gained control of the government and created

the Apartheid system. The reason for the creation of these Homelands/Reservations is

similar. Both of the groups affected also had similar reactions, to the colonization. In

1960 a group of blacks refused to carry passes, which was against the law. The state
declared a state of emergency, which left 69 people dead and 187 wounded. There were

also many conflicts between American Indian tribes and the government. For example,

there were three Seminole wars between the Seminole tribe and the government. The

wars didn’t last long because they were quickly won by the government. These examples

show the rejection of the idea of making a Homeland/Reservation for the minorities. The

biggest similarity between the Homelands and the Reservations is that they enforced the

idea that these minorities don’t really belong here. They were seen as aliens to their own

country. This further diffused the idea of discrimination.

As you can see, the American Reservations and the South African Homelands

have many similarities and differences. The American Reservations included segregation

of ethnicity, different languages, and little or no autonomy, compared to the racial

segregation, similar language, and a bit more autonomy in South Africa. These

Homelands/Reservations also had many similarities. They both started because of

European Colonization, they both angered the minorities involved, and the both made the

country view the minority as an alien.

 Bibliography
Gary D. Sandefur, professor of social work and social such as economic isolation, which
may occur in a number of ogy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an affiliate
locales. of the Institute for Research on Poverty, American Indian reservations: The first
underclass areas?, pg 1-5

The History Of Apartheid In South Africa, Standford.edu, pg 1-1