Chief Piapot was a traditionalist and spiritual leader. He made this assertation because he knew the government’s desire to expand the borders over Native American’s lands. Because of this, he said that the government had unfulfilled promises, giving the Native Americans small reservations in exchange for big promises. Historians records shows what he has said in 1895:
“In order to become sole masters of our land they relegated us on small reservations as big as my hand and made us long promises, as long as my arm. But the next year the promises were shorter, and get shorter every year until now they are about the length of my finger, and they keep only half of that.”
