What is something the Dawes act attempted to do?

The Dawes Act of 1887 aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by breaking up communal tribal lands into individual plots. Each Native American family was allotted a specific parcel of land, while the surplus land was sold to non-Native settlers. This policy sought to encourage farming and private land ownership, undermining traditional tribal structures and cultures. Ultimately, the Dawes Act resulted in significant loss of Native American land and further marginalized indigenous populations.