Final answer:
The relationship between the government, Native Americans, and settlers changed as white settlement encroached upon the American West, involving broken treaties, forced relocations onto reservations, and policies of cultural assimilation.
Step-by-step explanation:
As the American West was encroached upon by white settlers, Native Americans experienced a significant shift in their relationship with the government and American citizens. Initially, the federal government signed treaties guaranteeing Native American tribes rights to their lands; however, these agreements were routinely violated by land-hungry settlers, and the government failed to enforce them. As a consequence, Native Americans were forced onto reservations, often on land far less desirable and away from traditional hunting and farming grounds.
In response to what was termed the "Indian problem," the government and reformers sought to solve this issue through policies of assimilation, enforcing western education, the Christian religion, English language, and individual land ownership on Native American tribes, in stark contrast to their traditional collective use of land and cultural practices.
This relationship further deteriorated as White settlers, backed by the government, continued to push for expansion, leading to violent conflicts known as the Indian Wars. Native Americans were subjected to waves of removal and the reservation lands promised to them were continually diminished as settlers and immigrants desired more territory for themselves.
The relationship between the government, Native Americans, and American citizens evolved from one of treaty arrangements to one characterized by forced removal, cultural assimilation, and legal marginalization. Native American tribes, as well as other ethnic groups like Hispanic Americans and Chinese immigrants, struggled to maintain their rights and way of life in the face of expanding White settlement and discriminatory policies.