Becoming Nations Again : The Journey Towards Tribal Self-Determination

Tribes operated sovereign governments since time immemorial. Colonialism forced tribes onto reservations and stripped them of sovereign powers. Federal paternalism continues to undermine tribal self-governance; thus, tribes struggle with crime and poverty. Treating tribes as nations again is the key to improving life in Indian country.

North America's Indigenous inhabitants operated effective governments long before European arrival. Tribes built cities, developed laws, and participated in transcontinental trade networks. European arrival, however, brought many hardships for Indians. Although tribes were guaranteed the right to self-govern on reservations, the United States imposed severe restraints on tribal autonomy resulting in socioeconomic maladies, such as poverty and crime. Today, federal policies continue to inhibit tribal self-governance. As a result, tribes continue to suffer from these social ills. Becoming Nations Again argues empowering tribal governments is the key to solving tribal problems. It moves to liberate tribes from the antiquated regulations that apply only to tribal lands and allow tribes to exercise jurisdiction over all people on their land. Once this occurs, tribes will be free to implement their own laws and participate in the federalist system. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.