1. Native Americans in the West

2. Native Americans
Living in what was known as the “Great American Desert”…not really a desert at all
Were promised that land would be theirs forever…not really
Most numerous were the Plains Indians
Nomadic, followed the buffalo
Did not think of land as property…different from American concept of land

3. Threats to Indian Life Disease Gold was discovered in California
Railroad was being built that needed to go through Indian Territory
This need led to the government setting up reservations that would put Indians on smaller specific areas…but many are nomadic

4. Buffalo Migrants killed off thousands
Hunters invaded, trading fur in the East
Some killed for sport leaving the carcasses to rot
Indians see their way of life rotting
RR companies hired sharpshooters to kill those obstructing traffic (Buffalo Riders)
Encouraged by US army…would keep the Indians from being nomadic

6. Sand Creek Massacre
Indians had been attacking settlers to keep a hold on their lands…raised the distrust among settlers
Unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho are attacked by Colorado militia for no reason
Killed men, women and children
Indians tried to signal that they were of no threat
Created even more Indian resistance and military occupation

7. Sand Creek Massacre

8. Battle of Little Big Horn
Gold miners encroach on Sioux territory
Sioux send out their troops and so does the US Army under Colonel Custer
250 soldiers vs. 2,000 Indians
Indians charged killing Custer and all of his men

9. Nez Perce Were sent to a unfertile lands in Oklahoma
Living on reservations and doing well but land was needed for white settlers
Chief Joseph tried to escape US troops by heading into Canada
Troops caught up with them and Chief Joseph surrendered
“I will fight no more forever”
Were sent to a unfertile lands in Oklahoma

10. Wounded Knee
With so many threats to their way of life Indians start to practice the Ghost Dance, thought that it would
Banish white settlers
Bring back the buffalo
Frightened the government…they order the arrest of Sitting Bull who was leading the Ghost Dance
When the troops come to arrest Sitting Bull, they disarm the Indians…fire is shot?…troops react by killing over 300 Sioux
Buried in a mass grave
18 Congressional Medals of Honor awarded to the troops

11. Blizzard hits and the bodies are left there to freeze

14. Assimilation
Reservation life was not working so government suggested assimilation (adopting the culture and civilization of whites)
Helen Hunt Jackson criticized the government’s treatment of Indians in her book A Century of Dishonor
Talked of broken treaties and the plight of Indians

15. Dawes Severalty Act
Replaced the reservation system with an allotment system
Each Indian family was given 160 acres
Not enough for farming in the West, only in the East
Land could not be sold for 25 years
Attempt to assimilate Indians by giving them land but they don’t even know how to farm