How did the reservation lands of the American Indians shrink? What exactly happened in the past?

The United States government and the American Indians have always had a difficult relationship. After many years of armed conflict, the government negotiated a treaty with the Lakotas, Dakotas, and Nakotas in 1868.

Look below to see how and why the reservation lands changed.

1868 — Treaty of Fort Laramie

The Lakotas, Dakotas, and Nakotas once lived throughout the Great Plains. In 1868, the Treaty of Fort Laramie created the Great Sioux Reservation, which limited the American Indians’ land to the western half of South Dakota.

1877 — Broken Treaty

When miners discovered gold in the Black Hills, the United States government broke the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Afterward, this much of land remained for the Great Sioux Reservation.

1889 — Allotment Act

In the late 1800s, the United States government broke the Great Sioux Reservation into several smaller reservations. It sold the remaining land to the immigrants and migrants settling in the region.

1973 — Remaining Lands

After decades of broken agreements, only a small amount of land remained to the American Indians. The 1973 occupation on the Pine Ridge Reservation was a protest of this unjust and constant loss of territory.

Credit: Chicago History Museum