The Women's National Indian Association (WNIA) was founded in 1879 by a group of American women, including educators and activists Mary Bonney and Amelia Stone Quinton. Bonney and Quinton united in the 1880s against the encroachment of white settlers on land set aside for Native Americans in Indian Territory. They drew up a petition that addressed the binding obligation of treaties between the United States and Native American nations. The petition was circulated for signature in sixteen states and was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes at the White House and in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1880. The Association changed its name to National Indian Association, and was voluntarily dissolved in 1951. History Concerned about European-American encroachment on lands reserved for tribes in Indian Territory, Mary Bonney and Amelia Stone Quinton gathered signatures for petitions to demonstrate support among American people to honor the treaties made with tribes by the United States. They submitted the first such petition to the President and Congress in 1880. and Initially The Association first began as a petition drive to persuade Congress to uphold Indian treaties. Initially founded in 1879 in reaction to the prospect of opening Oklahoma Indian Territory to white settlement, additional branches quickly expanded in the 1880s. At its peak the Association supported 98 branch organizations in 28 states and sustained 56 missions on Indian reservations. The first crusade was a five-year mission devoted to gaining political rights for Indians to vote as United States citizens. Soon, chapters in sixteen states participated in the movement. In 1882, the male-dominated Indian Rights Association commandeered the lobbying functions of the Association. In response to this, the Association shifted toward a "maternalist" approach and focused on missionary work. The missionary efforts included tasks such as home building, hospital, and educational work on the reservations. Bonney retired from the presidency of the WNIA in November 1884; she was succeeded by Mary Lowe Dickinson, who was elected to the office. In 1887, Anna Stone Quinton was unanimously elected president in 1887. The Association underwent several name changes, first named the Central Indian Committee (1879), switching to the Indian Treaty-Keeping and Protective Association (1881-1882), then the Women's National Indian Association (1882-1901). That year they took the name of National Indian Association (1901). The Association was voluntarily dissolved in 1951 due to funding cuts and policy shifts. Goals of the movement The Association's aims were to