Throughout American history treaties have been signed in an effort to “protect” the Lakota Nation and their land. However, these treaties have continuously been violated and the amount of land the Lakota have been allowed to occupy has continued to shrink. In 1851 the treaty of Fort Laramie was signed, which set the boundaries for the Lakota nation. Nine years later, this treaty was not even brought into consideration when the government allowed the Transcontinental Railroad to travel through the Lakota territory. Less than a decade had passed when the Indian Appropriation Act was signed. This act meant that all Indians became prisoners of war. It prohibited the Lakota from leaving the reservation and did not permit the Indians to sign or create