"In the Wake of John F. Kennedy's inauguration in January 1961, efforts began to end policies that relocated American Indians to cities and redistributed tribal assets. During the 1960s the federal government's administrative responsibility for American Indian tribes underwent a fundamental change to undo the approach known as termination policies. While both presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson sought to improve conditions for American Indians, they faced powerful congressional opposition to their efforts to end termination policies. This study is the history of executive and legislative leaders as well as Native Americans jostling to create a new Indian policy during the tumultuous 1960s." "During the years of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, American Indian political activism and political power expanded on the local and national fronts. Clarkin carefully traces American Indian efforts to gain control over the creation of Indian policy and the operation of government programs. He also thoroughly explores the conflict and sometimes unhappy compromises between and among administration officials, congressional leaders, and American Indians, including such key figures as Frank Church, Clinton P. Anderson, Stewart Udall, Robert Burnette, Vine Deloria, Jr. and, of course, presidents Kennedy and Johnson." "Clarkin's study of the shift in American Indian and white relations during the 1960s is a significant contribution to our understanding of federal Indian policy."--BOOK JACKET.