Why are Indian reservations an important part of the North American Desert landscape?

Indian reservations are a significant feature of the North American Desert landscape because they represent a direct legacy of the continental expansion of the United States.1

The region serves as the home for the majority of the U.S. Indian population, including descendants of the original desert-culture inhabitants and tribes that were displaced westward during the 19th-century dispossession following European settlement. Consequently, these reservations occupy large portions of the contemporary landscape, marking the enduring presence and history of Indigenous peoples within this challenging environment.21