The Board of Indian Commissioners was established in 1869 by Congress to oversee US Native American policy and ensure treaty obligations were fulfilled. It aimed to establish a more humane "Peace Policy" under President Grant, using Christian churches and schools to civilize and Americanize tribes. However, an 1885 report from the Board contradictorily attempted to dismantle Native traditions and regress progress, showing the challenges of balancing humanitarian and assimilationist goals.