Native American Reservation photo

This Photo was taken in 1892 at San Carlos Agency, Ariz. (National Archives) and shows the distribution of food, at the reservation dole office.

This particular photo comes after the collapse of the Apaches, their conformity to being herded in to these reservations was by military force but the “absence of any acceptable alternative for the Indians, given the loss of their land and traditional means of livelihood, provided the most powerful incentive.” The photo shows a queue of Native Americans lining up to collect their dole of food or clothing the government’s way to keep the Native Americans content. The fact they are queuing is a very European idea, it shows their conformity to the reservations and the way in which they have been civilized. The dole for many Natives was seen as being “the ultimate humiliation for the Indians, once a proud people.” The photo shows the settlers influence on their clothing as it is more western in style, as the Natives are forced to abandon their traditional dress in favour of this, due to there being no alternative.

At the start of the 19th century, as the United States further developed the white settlers saw that the Indian nations were standing in the way of their progress. They were eager to acquire the land from the native Indians and harvest it for their own gain. These selfish demands by the settlers caused the federal government to put restrictions on natives by taking their land and in return offering them un-wanted areas which they called reservations as shown above in the photo. The government thought that if they created these reservations they could avoid further conflict between Native Americans and the White Setters, by confining them to one area they could be watched and appeased by proving for them. As the White settlers increased, Native American land became increasing desired by the white settlers, whilst the Native Americans were seen as an impediment on the growing America. This caused reservations to be made smaller. The land that they had been given was the pieces unwanted by white settlers, as a result the native Americans found it hard to make a living from the land.

For many the solution of the Native Indian problem lay not only in the constriction of their land but, by transforming the Native Indian, “into a God-fearing tiller of the soil enjoying the blessings of Christianity, education, individual instead of tribal ownership of land, and national citizenship” They were able to use the reservation system as a way to do this. As the Native’s further began to rely on the government; like in the photo for food and clothing, it comes as no surprise that they should try to change them in to the people that they wanted them to be. They created a more western Native American by teaching the farming techniques, and instilling Christian values upon them. For many they found themselves “overwhelmed by the civilizing process” as it was a stark contrast to what they had been used to. The whites however had managed to retain their land and deal with many problems surrounding the Native American.