William Unrau, `Indians of Kansas`

Transformation of Natives in Kansas

Beginning in the 1820s , the area that would become Kansas (by then popularly known as the HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Great_American_Desert " \o "Great American Desert " Great American Desert ) was "permanently " set aside as HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Indian_territory " \o "Indian territory " Indian territory by the U .S . government , and was closed to settlement by whites . Although early nineteenth century Kansas was vast in territory , the land was mostly unpopulated . This cheap abundant land along with the dream of a better life lured farmers

from the east to start their lives in Kansas . Indians did not see land as a source of profit as many European individuals and business concerns did , but rather as the direct source of life . The vast majority of native peoples had no concept of private ownership of land . Lands and the right to use them were held by entire communities or extended kin groups

To fully utilize Indian territory , the U .S . government resettled Native American tribes already present in eastern Kansas , principally the HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Kansa " \o "Kansa " Kansa and HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Osage " \o "Osage " Osage opening land to move eastern tribes into the area . By treaty dated June 3 , 1825 , 20 million acres (81000 km ) of land was ceded by the Kansa Nation to the United States , and the Kansa tribe was thereafter limited to a specific reservation in northeast Kansas . In the same month , the Osage...