This legislаtiоn prоvided fоr the grаduаl elimination of most tribal ownership of land. Once allotted to an individual, it could not be sold for 25 years. The lands of Native Americans not given to individual Native Americans could be sold with the approval of Congress. Furthermore, it was done so without the consent of the tribe or its leaders. It was designed to destroy the cultural customs of social life in the tribal committees and assimulate Native Americans into a more modern America.