Charles H. Burke

Charles Henry Burke (April 1, 1861 – April 7, 1944) was a Republican Congressman from South Dakota and Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1920s.

Biography
He was born near Batavia, New York, in 1861, and attended the public school there. He moved to the Dakota Territory in 1882 and settled on a homestead in Beadle County of what is now South Dakota, moving on to Hughes County in 1883.

He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1886. He also engaged in the real estate investment business in the area of Pierre, South Dakota. He was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1895 and 1897. He ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1898, won election, and remained in that position through 1907, losing the nomination for the 1906 election, although he won again in 1908 and remained in the House through 1915, serving as Minority whip from 1913 through 1915. In 1906 he was heavily involved in passing the Burke Act. In 1914, he received the nomination for the United States Senate seat from South Dakota and chose not to run for reelection to the House. He lost that Senate race.

He was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1921 and served in that capacity until his resignation in 1929. He died in 1944, in Washington, D. C.

Burke and Native Americans
In 1934, Congress passed the Wheeler-Howard Bill, also known as the Indian Reorganization Act, a significant victory for advocates like John Collier and Gertrude Bonnin, who had long battled against exploiters like Albert B. Fall and Charles H. Burke. This legislation marked the culmination of a fierce struggle that began in the 1920s, where reformers fought against an unsympathetic Congress and a negligent bureaucracy. Despite facing opposition from figures like Fall and Burke, who prioritized business interests over Native American welfare, the reformers managed to secure some improvements during the 1920s. The momentum of the New Deal era eventually propelled the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, granting tribes more autonomy and resources.

During the early 1920s, Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall and his ally Charles H. Burke were prominent figures representing the obscurantist faction, prioritizing business interests over Native American rights. Fall, known for his corruption, and Burke, who authored legislation detrimental to Native American citizenship, faced resistance from reformers. Despite their efforts to suppress Native American culture and religion, the reform movement gained traction, eventually leading to legislative victories such as the Indian Reorganization Act. The struggle between reformers and exploiters was shaped by public opinion, influenced by mass media outlets and church publications, with obscurantists resorting to derogatory portrayals of Native American traditions to justify their positions.

Legacy
The town of Burke, South Dakota, was named for the congressman.