Propaganda Used to Justify the Ethnic Cleansing of Native Americans.

Since the 15th century, over ten million Native American people have been killed in what is know the United States as a result of colonialism. The atrocities committed against the indigenous peoples have been motivated by power-hungry expeditionists and backed legally by equally power-hungry government officials. The resulting genocide of Native Americans has occurred in waves and the end to their strife has not come to an end in the present day. Historically, indigenous people have been neglected by the US government and the current handling of the DAPL, as well as the shockingly high poverty and unemployment rate, indicates that the USFG continues to do so. 

The easiest way to for American citizens to support the disturbing acts committed against the indigenous peoples was to circulate published works of anti-Native propaganda. Typically articles containing negative messages regarding the Native people would come out around the time when an action was being taken to irradicate Native people from their land. In doing so, indigenous peoples were made out to be "savages" who were sub-human; when the American people saw them in this way, they were more likely to support actions taken against the Native American people.

Events were often written in American publications to portray military and government actions as favorable, and the actions taken against the Native American people as justified. After the Battle of Little Big Horn, despite an embarrassing defeat due to lack of planning and overconfidence, Custer's defeat portrayed his troops as martyrs who were viciously slaughtered. This immortalized the Battle in American history, and wrongfully depicted the true events. These publications furthered the agenda of the government but gaining support for pushing Native Americans onto reserves.

False narratives of Native American people, dates back much further than the Battle of Little Bighorn, and continued to be perpetrated long after.