Final answer:
The claim that Congress passed a package named the Indian Act in 1975 is false. The actual legislation was the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, which allowed tribes greater autonomy over their affairs, marking a shift in federal policy towards empowerment and self-governance for Native American tribes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that in 1975 Congress passed a better package of legislation, named the Indian Act, is false. The correct name of the legislation is the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. This legislation represented a significant shift in federal policy toward the empowerment of Native American tribes, reversing previous approaches focused on assimilation and termination.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 allowed tribes to assume control over programs that had been managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, such as education and resource management, granting them a level of autonomy not seen before. This period also witnessed several other laws designed to further empower tribes, including the Indian Child Welfare Act (1978) and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (1978).
The act was part of a broader effort to promote Native American self-governance and the preservation of their culture and heritage. It even enabled the return of nearly two million acres of land from the government to various tribes and set the standard for self-determination as the primary federal policy toward Native American tribes.