The century that followed the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie saw a dramatic reduction in the lands held by Native nations on the Northern Plains. Understanding this long process of land loss helps explain the map of Indian Country today and the grievances that continue to shape relations between Native nations and the United States.
From vast territories to reservations
The 1851 treaty recognized broad territories associated with many Plains nations. Within a generation, however, the lands acknowledged as Native shrank considerably. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie established the Great Sioux Reservation, itself a large area but far smaller than the territory recognized in 1851. Then, following the taking of the Black Hills and other actions, the reserved lands were further reduced.
This pattern repeated across the Plains. Successive agreements, acts of Congress, and government policies steadily narrowed the areas recognized as belonging to Native nations.
Allotment and its toll
The General Allotment Act of 1887 accelerated the loss. By dividing communal reservation lands into individual parcels and opening declared surplus lands to non-Native settlement, allotment transferred enormous acreage out of Native hands. Even allotted parcels were often lost over time through sale and other pressures. By the time the policy ended in 1934, the Native land base had been drastically diminished.
Later pressures
Land loss did not end with allotment. In the mid-twentieth century, additional policies and projects further affected Native lands. Large dam and reservoir projects along the Missouri River, for example, flooded significant areas of reservation land, displacing communities and taking valuable bottomlands. Each episode added to the cumulative loss.
Why this history matters
The steady erosion of the Native land base was not the result of a single event but of many decisions layered over a century. Treaties recognized lands that were later reduced; policies framed as reform stripped away still more. The result is that many Plains nations today hold only a fraction of the territory once recognized as theirs.
This history underlies ongoing efforts by Native nations to protect remaining lands, to recover what was lost where possible, and to assert the treaty rights that survive. Recognizing the scale of land loss is essential to understanding both the past and the present. To read more, see our articles on the Dawes Act and allotment and the 1868 treaty and the Great Sioux Reservation, or explore the legal and land disputes category.
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