How has the US government historically treated Native Americans?

Native American tribes in Missouri have long been subjected to a complex relationship between the United States government and their sovereign nations. Throughout much of history, the United States government, in spite of recognizing the sovereignty of Native American nations, has often taken actions that infringed upon this sovereignty. Early in United States history, Native Americans often found themselves in the unfortunate position of having to negotiate treaties with the United States government in order to ensure their rights and land were protected. However, it was not uncommon for the United States government to break these treaties, leading to land loss and disruption of traditional Native American life. The passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a significant event in Native American history. This legislation allowed the United States government to forcibly relocate Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands in the east to lands in the west. This relocation, known as The Trail of Tears, resulted in the displacement and death of thousands of Native Americans as they traveled to their new western homeland. The Dawes Act of 1887 further disrupted traditional Native American life as it broke up tribal lands and allotted much of these lands to individual citizens. Throughout the early- to mid-20th century, the United States government passed numerous laws which sought to assimilate Native Americans into the United States society, such as the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. Today, Native American tribes in Missouri, as well as throughout the United States, have fought for and won greater autonomy and protections for their tribes. Native American law works to protect the sovereignty and treaty rights of tribes as they continue to face challenges from the US government.

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