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The federal government passed an act that designated the Great Plains area as a reservation, which is land specifically set aside for Native Americans.
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In the 1850's, the government changed its policies and created treaties that defined specific boundatires for each tribe.
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The Cheyenne returned to Colorado's Sand Creek Reserve for the winter under the assumption that they were under the protection of the U.S. government. However, Gen. S.R. Curtis, a U.S.Army commander in the west, sent a confrontational telegram initiating war. He then attacked the Cheyenne and Arapaho on the dawn of November 29, 1864, killing over 150 people.
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After Red Cloud appealed to the government to end white settlement on the Bozeman Trail, the warrior, Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail. This ended up killing over 80 of Fetterman's soldiers.
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Battles continued on the Bozeman Trail until the government agreed to close the Bozeman Trail. In return, the Treaty of Fort Laramie was forced on the Sioux leaders. The is stated that the Sioux had to agree to live on a reservation along the MO River. Sitting Bull never signed it. But, the Ogala and Brule Sioux did sign with the expectation of continuation of their usual hunting grounds.
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In 1868, war broke out between the Kiowa/Comanche and the U.S. Army. The Kiowa and Comanche engaged in six years of raiding of white settlers finally leading to the Red River War in 1874-75. The U.S. Army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others.
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Crazy Horse, Gall, and Sittiing Bull, outflanked and crushed Custer's troops, killing Custer and all his men within an hour.
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Congress passed the Dawe's Act, aiming to "Americanize" the Native Americans. It broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans.
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After a shot fired in Wounded Knee Creek , South Dakota(not known from which side), the Seventh Calvary regiment slaughtered as many as 300 unarmed Native Americans. This resulted in the end of the Indian wars, an entire era.
