Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Indigenous People's Lives on the Reservations (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Bad was Life on Reservations for the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains? - Summary
The US government used force to remove Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands. The government relocated them to reservations. Indigenous peoples faced lots of difficulties. Many reservations were located on undesirable and isolated lands. This made it difficult for Indigenous people to practice traditional ways of life such as hunting and fishing. It also made it near-impossible for tribes to grow crops for their food supply. Living conditions on reservations were often inadequate. Reservations had overcrowded housing, insufficient food supplies and inadequate healthcare. Indigenous communities faced high rates of poverty and unemployment. They had limited access to education and job opportunities. The US government implemented policies of assimilation as well as creating the reservations. The government aimed to remove Indigenous languages, traditions and religions. They wanted Indigenous peoples to speak English and follow Christianity. Indigenous children were often removed from their families and sent to boarding schools. The school would punish Indigenous students for speaking their native languages or practising their cultural traditions. White settlers accidentally spread diseases among Indigenous populations. This had devastating consequences. Epidemics of diseases such as tuberculosis, smallpox and flu could kill hundreds if not thousands of Indigenous people. |
How did Reservations Impact Tribal Society?
Chiefs like Sitting Bull stopped negotiating with the US government
The Chiefs refused to lose more land than they already had
They knew that the government had broken multiple promises
In the 1880s, the US government bypassed the tribal structure of power by using:
Councils among tribes
Councils took the power from a chief to protect the tribe
US negotiators bribed or threatened council members
Special courts
In 1883, these courts judged and punished tribe members instead of the chief
Government agents influenced the court system by increasing food rations or medical supplies for 'good' behaviour
The Indian Police Agency
The government offered food, clothes and shelter for Indigenous peoples who joined
Agents kept law and order among the Indigenous peoples on the reservation
Other Indigenous peoples saw these agents as being disloyal
Federal courts
By 1885, all Indigenous peoples were tried and prosecuted in federal courts
The Indigenous peoples could no longer govern themselves
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Many Europeans and Americans called the Indigenous peoples of America 'Indians'. This is no longer an accepted term. Please do not use 'Indians' to refer to Indigenous peoples in your exam answers. However, in this section, you will have to use the official name for the government policies towards Indigenous peoples. Many of the policies use the term 'Indian'. You should write the full title of these acts in your exam answers to show specific own knowledge.
The Impact of Shrinking Reservations
The Indigenous tribes did not agree to changes to reservation size
The Fort Laramie Treaty in 1868 stated that 75% of males in each tribe needed to agree to the treaty
The changes to the Great Sioux Reservation in 1876 did not have this amount of agreement
After the Dawes Act, the US government entered into discussions with Indigenous tribes
The US government forced tribes to agree to the creation of six small reservations
Surplus land was sold to settlers
The reservations were not big enough for the tribes to survive on
Many Indigenous peoples assimilated by creating homesteads
Indigenous peoples lost their traditional way of life
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The American West exam tests you on your knowledge of narratives and how key themes developed over time. Government policy surrounding Indigenous tribes underwent the following development:
The US government wanted to keep the Indigenous tribes away from US citizens through the Permanent Indian Frontier
The US government placed Indigenous tribes into reservations under the Indian Appropriations Act
The government began to shrink reservations in the 1870s
The Dawes Act forced Indigenous peoples to assimilate and become US citizens
Education and Religion on Reservations
The government educated Indigenous children outside of the reservations
In many cases, if the parents refused to allow the children to leave, their rations were taken away until they agreed
By 1887:
Over 2,000 Indigenous children attended 117 boarding schools
Around 2,500 Indigenous children attended 110 day schools
Children received a military-style education. They were taught:
To not respect their ancestry or tribal culture
To follow Christianity
That they would be punished if they spoke their own language, performed tribal dances or kept sacred items
To assimilate into US culture
Despite being raised like US citizens, Indigenous children were still treated unfairly
After school, Indigenous peoples struggled to find jobs and returned to reservations
Living Conditions on Reservations
Life on reservations was challenging for many Indigenous peoples. This is because:
The US government sometimes placed enemy tribes on the same reservations
This caused conflict between Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples starved
Many Indigenous tribes had never farmed before
Reservation land lacked nutrients necessary to grow good quality crops
Corrupt government agents kept a tribe's annuity until the tribe paid them a lot of money
Reservations were not big enough for the number of Indigenous peoples
People lived close to other families
Epidemic diseases spread quickly, causing death
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of reservations for Indigenous people
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of reservations was a loss of the Indigenous peoples' traditional way of life. The US government forced Indigenous children to be educated outside of reservations in military-style schools. This resulted in a loss of culture because the schools punished Indigenous students if they spoke their own language, performed tribal dances or kept sacred items. As a result, many Indigenous students had to abandon their traditional culture and become a US citizen.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A high-standard response to this question needs to explain how reservations impacted Indigenous peoples. There are many different approaches to this question. You could explain how reservations were poorly run, meaning many Indigenous peoples died from starvation or disease. Ensure that you explain in detail using specific own knowledge how reservations caused your chosen consequence to occur.
This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the American West exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions each, worth four marks.
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