American-Indian relationship

The United States government had initially treated the Indian tribes and independent sovereign nations, but as they wanted to expand westward they decided to change the relationship to fit their own selfish desires of conquest and expansion. The United States now decided to consider Indians as "wards of the state" instead of "sovereign nations". President Grant sent General George Crook to Arizona. Crook's strategy was to contain the Indians in reservations and assimilate them into American culture gradually; those that did not want to live in the reservations and chose to rebel against the United States military were to be hunted down ruthlessly. Crook also played the Apaches against each other. If you became a "scout" for the American army, then you got your gun and horse back, your family could be fed with the U.S. currency they received as well. Indian scouts were often forced to hunt down their own people who refused to concede to the white demands. I know that Geronimo was captured by some of these Indian scouts, one of whom was Cochise's son. The Indian's had to wonder what had their way of life and communal trust when they are hunting each other down at the command of white folk.