The Dawes Act, enacted in 1887, aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land. Each Native American family received a specific amount of land, while the remaining land was sold to non-Native settlers. This policy sought to promote farming and private land ownership among Indigenous peoples. The act was part of a broader strategy to reduce tribal sovereignty and encourage the integration of Native Americans into mainstream culture. However, it often resulted in the loss of tribal lands and culture, as many Native Americans were unprepared for the transition to individual land ownership.