Research Guides: Dimensions of Diversity: Tribal Sovereign Status

What is Tribal Sovereign Status?

Tribal sovereign status for an individual refers to the unique legal and political status of a member of a federally recognized tribe in the United States (National Congress of America Indians, 2020). Here are some key aspects:

Tribal Citizenship: Tribal citizenship primarily defines the legal and political status of tribal members, and hence their sovereignty. They are citizens of three sovereigns: their tribe, the United States, and the state in which they reside. Tribal nations determine tribal citizenship and set enrollment criteria in constitutions, ordinances, or other legal documents.
Rights and Responsibilities: Individuals have rights and responsibilities defined by the laws of their respective tribes as citizens. These can include voting in tribal elections, serving on tribal councils, and participating in tribal cultural and social events.
Jurisdiction: The jurisdiction of tribal law over an individual can depend on factors such as the individual’s tribal membership, the location of their residence, and the nature of the legal issue. In some cases, tribal, federal, and state laws can all apply.
Cultural Identity: Tribal sovereignty allows tribes to honor and preserve their cultures and traditional ways of life, which can shape the cultural identity of individual tribal members.

It is important to note that the specifics of tribal sovereign status can vary widely among different tribes, as each tribe has the inherent right to establish its own laws and governance structures. For more detailed information, it would be best to refer to the specific laws and regulations of the relevant tribe – see the Tribal Directory of the National Congress of American Indians.

(Reference: National Congress of American Indians (2020). Tribal Nations and the United States: An Introduction. Washington, D.C., February 2020. https://cdn.sanity.io/files/raa5sn1v/production/3e782452a1ed9a2e03425ba035b353f54b2c2e46.pdf)

Readings on Tribal Sovereign Status

The Encyclopedia of Social Work

Alaska Natives From the Encyclopedia of Social Work "Alaska Natives represent less than 1% of the U.S. population but reside in more than 229 Native villages and account for 40% of federally recognized tribes. Most Alaska Native communities shared common Euro-American contact experiences: exposure to western religions, education, and disease."
Native Americans. From the Encyclopedia of Social Work, "Social workers have the power and ability to make important differences in enhancing the social, economic, and health status of First Nations Peoples, but this must begin with an awareness of their own attitudes and beliefs, as well as an awareness of how social workers have contributed to, rather than worked to alleviate, the problems of First Nations Peoples."

Additional Resources

Which Indigenous lands are you on? This map will show you. Treisman, R. (2022, October 10). Which Indigenous lands are you on? This map will show you. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/10/1127837659/native-land-map-ancestral-tribal-lands-worldwide
Towards a New Relationship: Tool Kit for Reconciliation/Decolonization of Social Work Practice at the Individual, Workplace, and Community Level. Eguchi, L., Riley, J., Nelson, N., Adonri, Q., & Trotter, S. (2016). Towards a New Relationship: Tool Kit for Reconciliation/Decolonization of Social Work Practice at the Individual, Workplace, and Community Level. British Columbia Association of Social Workers. https://bccsw.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Reconciliation-Toolkit-Final_May-11.pdf
Indigenous Peoples in the United States: The Challenge of Balancing Inclusion and Sovereignty Weaver, H. N. (2020). Indigenous Peoples in the United States: The Challenge of Balancing Inclusion and Sovereignty. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 31(3), 226–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2020.1734425 [Journal of Progressive Human Services is not currently owned by UAB. However, it is indexed in Social Services Abstracts and articles of interest can be requested via InterLibrary Loan]
Native American social work – Including family and community Swanson, S., Nygård, R. H., & Saus, M. (2022). Native American social work – Including family and community. Journal of Social Work, 22(3), 615–636. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173211009177
Developing Native American Expertise in Social Work Yeager, D. (2011). Developing Native American Expertise in Social Work. Social Work Today, 11(5). https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/092011p8.shtml
Indigenous People and the Social Work Profession: Defining Culturally Competent Services Weaver, H. N. (1999). Indigenous People and the Social Work Profession: Defining Culturally Competent Services. Social Work, 44(3), 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/44.3.217

Videos on Tribal Sovereign Status

A Call to Action

Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth. Visit www.usdac.us/nativeland to move beyond acknowledgment into action.

Missing Threads: The Story of the Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act

A culture deprived of its children will not survive. Yet at one point in our nation's history an alarming number of Native children were removed from their homes and placed with non-Native foster and adoptive homes, damaging the thread connecting the child and their culture.

Schools Built on Secrets: Understanding Boarding Schools for Native Americans

Through first-person narratives, students are introduced to federally run boarding schools, institutions created to force the assimilation of Native American children into white society.