Starting in the 17th century, European settlers pushed Indigenous people off their land, with the backing of the colonial government and, later, the fledging United States. With a military force at its disposal and an expanding need for land, tribal nations knew: accept the terms given by the United States, or face annihilation.

Indigenous people across the contiguous United States have lost 98.9% of their historical lands, or 93.9% of the total geographic area they once occupied.