Have never heard of this ploy before, however, I would not be surprised at anything our nefarious government might have done to eradicate indigenous people from "their" land. Since our "noble" leaders underwrote such programs as genocide, forced separation of children from families, destruction of culture and language, obliteration of established religion etc, almost anything conceived in the "fertile" minds of the great men of America. Fortunately, the Native People have persisted to this day and, although still down trodden, are thriving.