Sitting Bull stated, "The life my people want is a life of freedom." Likewise, Chief Joseph simply asked the government for equal rights enshrined by the laws. Describe what freedom meant to the Indians and how that conflicted with the interests and values of most white Americans. Also, explain why white Americans did not allow Indians the opportunity to have American citizenship.

Freedom to the Native Americans meant the ability to live according to their own traditions, customs, and beliefs without interference from the US government or white settlers. It meant being able to hunt, fish, and live on their ancestral lands, and to maintain their cultural and spiritual practices. This conflicted with the interests and values of most white Americans, who saw the land occupied by Native Americans as valuable for farming, mining, and settlement. They also viewed Native American culture as inferior and saw assimilation into white society as the only way for Native Americans to progress.

White Americans did not allow Indians the opportunity to have American citizenship because they viewed them as a separate and inferior race. The US government's policy towards Native Americans was one of forced assimilation, which included efforts to eradicate Native American languages, religions, and cultural practices. Granting citizenship to Native Americans would have contradicted this policy and would have also meant acknowledging their sovereignty and rights to their ancestral lands. Additionally, many white Americans saw Native Americans as a threat to their own economic and territorial interests, and granting them citizenship would have meant sharing resources and power. Overall, the denial of citizenship to Native Americans was a way for white Americans to maintain control and dominance over the land and its resources.