Why was the Indian reservation policy a failure?

Answer 1

The reservation system was set up to cage the Indians until they all died out. They were set up to fail by being sent to reservations in areas where the lands and climates were so foreign to the tribes that they perished by the thousands. Some reservations were put side by side with reservations of ages old enemies. The reservations were lands that the white man didn't want and were largely inhospitable.

Combine that with corrupt Indian Agents who took the best of the government goods and gave the Indians meat that had turned bad. Bug laden flour and holey blankets were also passed around.

The reservations might have been overcrowded. Also important was that they could not practice their own spirituality and in that alone, they were set up to perish.

Answer 2

Native Americans ended up on reservations because the USA tricked them into trading animals and weapons- such as horses and guns- for land. The most evil of plans was taking the Black Hills- an ancient burial ground- from the tribes.

Answer 3

federal policy dictated that certain tribes be confined to fixed land plots to continue their traditional ways of life.

Answer 4

they were all killers