Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Art Mitchell's avatar

"How can a sovereign nation legally exist within a sovereign nation? In a word, it's nonsense."

It is completely okay not to know something. This is a big and complicated topic. But this statement overlooks a lot of important history that helps explain why things are the way they are.

Native American tribes have a specific kind of sovereignty that has been recognized for a long time. In the early 1800s, the U.S. Supreme Court described tribes as "domestic dependent nations." That means they have the right to govern themselves in many ways, but they still have a relationship with the federal government. It is not full independence like a foreign country, but it is also not the same as being a part of a state.

This form of sovereignty is grounded in treaties. These were real, formal agreements made between the United States and tribal nations. Those agreements are still legally binding. The structure has also been upheld again and again in federal courts.

So when someone says the idea is nonsense, it usually means they have not had the chance to learn the legal and historical context yet. And that is okay. But once you do understand it, you start to see that tribal sovereignty is not about special treatment. It is about keeping promises and recognizing that these nations existed long before the United States did.

Learning this might be surprising at first, but it opens the door to a more complete and fair understanding of how the country works, and how we live alongside others who were here long before us.

Expand full comment
6 more comments...

No posts