What is tribal sovereignty?

Tribal sovereignty means Native nations have the right to govern themselves: to make their own laws, run their own governments, and keep their own courts and police.They are nations within a nation. Tribal members are citizens of their tribe, the United States and their state, all at once.

1 · MindWhat it is

Native nations governed themselves long before the United States existed. When the U.S. made treaties with them, it was dealing with them as nations. The National Archives holds 367 ratified treaties between the United States and Native nations.

Today the Bureau of Indian Affairs says federally recognized tribes have “certain inherent rights of self-government” and a government-to-government relationship with the United States. There are more than 570 federally recognized tribes and villages.

What that looks like in practice, according to the National Congress of American Indians:

Own governments. Tribes decide their own form of government and who their members are.
Own laws. They make civil and criminal laws, and they tax, license and regulate.
Own courts and police. They enforce their laws through tribal courts and police departments.

An example near Flagstaff: the Hopi Tribe has governed through a Tribal Council since its constitution and bylaws were adopted in 1936. Sovereignty is not unlimited. Federal law and court rulings shape what tribes can and can’t do, and those limits are argued over often.

What each tradition or community says

Many tribal leaders

Many tribal leaders say sovereignty was not given to them by the United States. They say it is something their nations always had and kept, and treaties recognized it.

Federal government

The federal government recognizes tribes as self-governing and deals with them government to government. It also claims authority over some matters on tribal land, which leads to ongoing legal fights.

Some neighbors

Some non-Native neighbors find it confusing that different laws apply a few miles apart. Others see it as one more layer of local government, like a county or city, with a much longer history.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

For many Native people, sovereignty is not a legal word. It’s about whether your grandkids will grow up speaking your language, on your land, under your own rules. It’s about survival.

For the rest of us, it can feel strange that there are nations inside our nation. It helps to remember it’s been this way since before there was a United States.

A nation inside a nation isn’t a loophole. It’s one of the oldest promises this country made.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

Respect tribal laws. When you drive onto tribal land, you are under that nation’s rules. Follow posted signs, speed limits and permit rules. Some areas are closed to visitors.

Use the right words. Say “nation” or “tribe,” and use the nation’s own name. Tribal governments are governments, like a state or a city.

Learn a treaty. Find out which treaty or agreement covers the land where you live, and what it promised.

This weekLook up the government of the Native nation closest to you: who leads it, and how its council works.

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Sovereignty: The right to govern yourself. Federally recognized tribes are sovereign nations with their own governments.

All the plain words

Four questions to take with you

From the story of the Good Samaritan, the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Good Neighbor Test.

Did they see? Or look right past?
Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: how would you feel if another government could change your town’s rules without asking?

Quick questions

Are Native Americans U.S. citizens?

Yes. Many already were, and in 1924 Congress extended citizenship to all the rest. They can also be citizens of their tribe and of their state.

Are tribes their own countries?

Not foreign countries. They are sovereign nations within the United States, with a government-to-government relationship with federal officials.

Do tribal police and courts have real power?

Yes. Tribes enforce their laws through their own police and courts. Federal law sets some limits on that power.

Sources and research

How this answer was made

Fact-checked October 13, 2026 against National Congress of American Indians, Bureau of Indian Affairs and The Hopi Tribe. Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Every fact is checked against what each community says about itself, in its own official sources, plus a neutral reference. Part of this community and something doesn't sound like you, or spot a mistake? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.