Final answer:
American Indians resisted U.S expansion as settlers encroached on their lands and way of life, using both military and diplomatic means to fight policies of removal and assimilation, with leaders like Crazy Horse and Red Cloud leading the resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
American Indians have resisted U.S. expansion both in the past and present due to the damaging impact on their territories and way of life. Historically, as American settlers moved westward, they encountered Native tribes, which led to conflict and various forms of resistance. Native American resistance took many forms, from military opposition to legal and political strategies.
The Lakota Sioux, Prairie Pottawatomi, Modoc, Apache, Nez Perce, Utes, and Navajo are among the tribes that stood against the policies of removal, allotment, and assimilation, fighting to retain sovereignty over their lands. For instance, tribes like the Sioux, under leaders like Crazy Horse and Red Cloud, utilized their skills in mounted warfare, while the Apache used their knowledge of desert and canyon warfare to evade and fight against U.S. forces.
Furthermore, the federal government's efforts to force tribes onto reservations and assimilate them into a farming lifestyle directly opposed the Native American way of life, leading to the Plains Wars and subsequent confinement to reservations. Natives also used diplomacy, forming coalitions like the 1888 grand council to represent their interests collectively, although these were often undermined by U.S. policies. Despite some victories in battle and efforts at collective resistance, the overwhelming military and political pressure applied by the U.S. government ultimately led to the transformation of Native American societies and loss of traditional lands.