The lives of the Ainu became difficult once they were assimilated as Japanese citizens by the Japanese government. One of the reasons was because the government banned the free hunting of salmon and deer, which were important food sources for the Ainu. The government forced the Ainu to relocate to uncultivated land around the Tokachi River and Toshibetsu River to engage in farming, but this was unsuccessful. Furthermore, the government banned the use of the Ainu language and changed Ainu peoples’ names to Japanese ones. Discrimination and prejudice against the Ainu increased, but as a reaction, independence activities and preservation of culture also became more widespread.