Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the concept of the inherent authority of Indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States.
Hassanamisco Nipmuc Indian Reservation sign
Treaty of Penn with Indians by Benjamin West
Domestic dependent nations
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In the 1831 Supreme Court of the United States case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall wrote that Native American peoples in the United States were "domestic
Tribal sovereignty in the United States
…1871, Congress prohibited any future treaties. This move was steadfastly opposed by Native Americans. Currently, the U.S. recognizes tribal nations as domestic dependent nations and uses its own legal system to define the relationship between the federal, state, and tribal governments. As of 2026, the U.S. recognizes 575 tribal…
Former U.S. Attorney General, William Wirt
Chief Justice John Marshall
President Richard Nixon with the leaders of Taos Pueblo. Nixon returning Blue Lake to Taos Pueblo was an early practice of Land Back.