Improved Order of Red Men

Common card · No. 382535

The Improved Order of Red Men is a fraternal organization established in North America in 1834. It claims direct descent from the colonial-era Sons of Liberty. Their rituals and regalia are modeled after those assumed by men of the era to be used by Native Americans. Despite the name, the order was formed solely by, and for, white men. This whites-only rule was part of their bylaws until 1974, when the all-white clause was eliminated. Their current position is that they are now open to people of all ethnic backgrounds. In 1935, the organization claimed a membership of about half a million; by 2011, it had declined to a little more than 15,000. The IORM sought to preserve Native American culture for a future when Indians went extinct.

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