George Washington was sometimes called Conotocarious, which is an Algonquian name that translated to "town taker" or "devourer of villages." Native Americans in the Ohio Valley during the French and Indian War gave George Washington the nickname which hearkened back to Washington's great-grandfather John Washington, who participated in an effort to suppress a Native American uprising in Virginia and Maryland that involved members of both the Susquehannah and the Piscataway.

Washington even referred to himself as "Conotocaurious" in a letter that he wrote to interpreter and negotiator Andrew Montour in October of 1755 expressing his desire that the Oneida resettle along the Potomac.

Near the beginning of his first term as President, George Washington declared that a just Indian policy was one of his highest priorities. He even took steps to make peace with Cherokee and Creeks in his first 100 days as president.

Under President Washington, Congress proceeded to approve a treaty with seven northern tribes (the Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, Chippewa, Iroquois, Sauk, and Fox). This agreement, however, lacked meaningful protection of tribal land. To the northern tribes this ineffectual treaty and the constant intrusion into their lands by droves of settlers meant that the American government had little control over its own citizens. Members of the northern tribes believed it was necessary to deploy force to prevent further incursions.

Washington's desire to protect the American citizens led to an American military response and the 1790's saw many confrontations between American armies and native forces. Working with the Creeks, the Treaty of New York was created to protect native lands. It failed, as the federal government could not stem the relentless incursion of American settlers onto "protected" Indian lands.

Ultimately, Washington sought to provide safe havens for native tribes while also assimilating them into American society. He believed that if he failed to at least make an effort to secure Indian land, his chances of convincing Native Americans to transform their hunting culture to one of farming and herding would be undermined. He reluctantly came to recognize, however, it was the settlers pouring into the western frontier that controlled the national agenda regarding Native Americans and their land. By 1796 even Washington had concluded that holding back the avalanche of settlers had become nearly impossible, writing that "I believe scarcely anything short of a Chinese wall, or a line troops, will restrain Land jobbers, and the encroachment of settlers upon the Indian territory." (http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-washington?specfile=/texts/english/washington/fitzpatrick/search/gw.o2w&act=surround&offset=43891290&tag=Writings+of+Washington,+Vol.+35:+To+THE+SECRETARY+OF+STATE&query=July+1,+1796&id=gw350082)