Native American Civil Rights - Sovereignty

Sovereignty

All American Indian tribes are under the U.S. government just as other minority groups. However, unlike other minority groups who are immigrants to the United States, American Indians are indigenous to American land and have therefore sought and gained sovereignty. Native sovereignty is made complex by the fact that the British (in colonial times) and American government also co-exist in the same country. Furthermore, American Indian “government” is not government in the traditional sense of authority and control, but is more like leadership over a community. It is difficult to describe American Indian government in a definite manner due to the fact that there are many different Native tribes with different forms of governing. As of August 2012, there are federally recognized 564 American Indian tribes. During the colonial period, American Indian sovereignty was upheld by the negotiation of treaties between British proprietor and American Indian tribes. Treaties are agreements between two sovereign governments, and, therefore, the treaties made were made under the understanding that the tribes had equal sovereignty to the sovereignty of the colonial governments.