Login with Facebook Register | Lost Password
Skip to Content
  • National African American History Month:

    February is National African American History Month! To view websites on African American history, click here.

  • KnowledgeBases:

    MC3's KnowledgeBases are topical collections of information and resources on specific subject areas. To see available KnowledgeBases, click here.

  • Common Core State Standards: MC3 has weblinks on Common Core State Standards, including information on assessment, equity issues, funding, implementation, special populations, and state resources. Check it out here.

KnowledgeBases > The American Indian Education KnowledgeBase > Element 1 > Activity 2 > Task 1: Understand the Concept of Tribal Sovereignty

Guideline: Educators will understand the meaning of tribal sovereignty today and the role of tribal governments in education.

Overview:  The concept of sovereignty for Indian nations centers on the concept that they are self-governing nations.  Historically, tribes controlled their own affairs before the U.S. Government assigned many of them to reservations overseen by appointed Indian Agents whose power was backed up by the U.S. Army.  With the passage of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, the U.S. Government recognized the rights of Indian tribes to self-government, and President Richard Nixon reaffirmed this right with his 1970 message to Congress on Indian self-determination.

Based on the U.S. Constitution, treaties, and Supreme Court decisions, Indian nations have a government-to-government relationship with the U.S. Government, and are largely independent of state governments.  The U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs represents the U.S. Government in its work with Indian nations.

References American Indian Tribal Sovereignty Primer _EXTERNAL_LINK
This primer from the American Indian Policy Center summarizes the legal basis for tribal sovereignty. A person unfamiliar with the basis for tribal sovereignty will find it most helpful.
References President Nixon’s 1970 Special Message to Congress _EXTERNAL_LINK

This link is to President Nixon's 1970 message to Congress. in this message, he set forth a "new direction of Indian policy aimed at Indian self-determination and condemned forced termination and proposed recommendations for specific action."

References Rethinking Tribal Sovereignty
Dr. Vine Deloria Jr. in his keynote address at the May 26, 1995 Sovereignty Forum, sponsored by the American Indian Policy Center presented his viewpoint on tribal sovereignty. This summary presents his three part view on the subject.
Presentations Sovereignty and Indian Education _EXTERNAL_LINK
The resource offers Melody McCoy's May 18, 2005 presentation on sovereignty at the Utah State Office of Education to Title VII Coordinators, Tribal Education Directors, community members, Higher Education and Utah State Office of Education staff. The presentation is broken into 10 segments for the ease of downloading. The presentation reviews the basic concepts of sovereignty along with a review of Federal legislation impacting American Indians and Indian education.
Print Print this page

Next: Task 2: Understand the Bureau of Indian Affairs Funded Schools


The contents of this website were developed under a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education. The information presented on this website is intended for general reference purposes only, and information/linked content is not necessarily endorsed by the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center or the U.S. Department of Education.