This type of misunderstanding was common between native people and Euro-American settlers. In most Indian societies the sharing of food was obligatory, a cultural practice that helped to make sure that everyone had enough to eat. White settlers did not share that idea and saw the Indians' behavior as stealing. The differing cultural rules obviously created friction between the two groups, especially after the traditional subsistence routines of the Indians had been disrupted and their hunting lands severely reduced in size, leading to increased food shortages that were not offset by government ration programs.