Culture Clashes on the Prairie

Native American tribes covered the expanse of the Great Plains, extending from the west coast to the central grasslands. They were peaceful, believing that powerful spirits controlled the events of the world. The leaders of their group ruled by counsel but no one person dominated the group. They lived in small extended families along with others who spoke a common language. They also believed in open land, with no borders.

            The new American settlers moved towards the central United States in order to profit off of the land that was currently inhabited by several Native American tribes. To earn the rights to the land, they claimed that the tribal land was not being improved and was therefore should over to them. After approval from the government, the settlers began to sell off chunks of land and build major railroads.

            With the U.S. government gaining control, restrictions on the Native American tribes became harsher. The U.S. changed policies that reduced the sizes of the reservations and designated certain land to tribes. Borders and new policies were often blurred causing friction between the settlers and the Native Americans. When tensions rose too high, battles like the Massacre at Sand Creek (1864) and the Death on the Bozeman Trail (1866) took place.

            The United States government started assimilation, which entailed Native Americans to give up their beliefs so that they would follow the white culture. The 1887 Dawes Act tried to “Americanize” them. It broke up their land into smaller sections and then sold the remainder to settlers, while they received no profit for the sales of their land.

            Native Americans were highly dependant on the Buffalo population for food, shelter, and clothing. When the settlers came to the Great Plains, they hunted the Buffalo for sport, leaving the population dwindling. In just 70 years the Buffalo population went from 65 million to 1000.

            Constant U.S. interference with the Native American lifestyle grew tiresome. The settlers moved the tribes while they were suffering from disease and famine. One occurrence in particular took place when General Custer was moving the Sioux tribe. They got to Wounded Knee Creek when an anonymous shot was fired, causing the settlers to set open fire in return. Over 300 unarmed Native American men, women, and children were killed. That battle stood as the last fight of that era, and the fighting ceased after that night.

            The settlers assumed dominance against the peaceful Native American people. Although the tribes did not stand up against the settlers again, the tension remained between the two cultures. The American settlers continued to take over the land that was originally used for reservations. Soon the American population greatly outnumbered that of the Native Americans. 

By: Noel