"Cynical" is a confusing word because it has two meanings that are near opposites.
Merriam-Webster has these two descriptions:
Essential Meaning of cynical
1 : believing that people are generally
selfish and dishonest
She's become more cynical in her old age.
2 : selfish and dishonest in a way that shows no concern about treating other people fairly
Some people regard the governor's visit to the hospital as a cynical attempt to win votes.
The first definition is about the feeling or attitude someone has about someone else's behaviour. It's like skeptical with negativity.
The second definition is about the intent of someone's behaviour.
In all three of your examples above, "cynical" has the second definition. The writer is saying that US Government claimed they had the best interests of the Native Americans in mind, but really this was an excuse to justify serving their own interests at the expense of the Native Americans.
By contrast, today, the descendants of those Native Americans are cynical (in the first sense) that the government ever has their best interests in mind.
Another English word with a similar pair of meanings is "suspicious". Something can be suspicious, or a person can be suspicious of something. The two meanings of "cynical" parallel the two meanings of "suspicious".
Best Answer
less than savory = unsavory, an antonym of savory
adjective: unsavory
With the definition of unsavory I have inserted a simple meaning in place of the phrase in your quote: