Part II. Sovereignty

Native Conceptions: 

• is a non-Native concept adapted by Natives to express the traditional understanding of ourselves as independent, self-governing entities responsible for the care of our community, land, and non-human relatives.

Non-Native Definitions

• is the foundational principle of all of Indian Law


• preexists and is independent of federal recognition


• is a relational concept that recognizes inter-national relations among tribes and between tribes and other governments.


• refers to our status as domestic dependent sovereigns and our efforts to attain self-determination as such.


• refers more specifically to our capacity to self-governance and cultural continuance.
  • self-governance refers to our capacity to exercise sovereign authority (as we define it) over our members and tribal territory.
  • cultural continuance refers to our ability to maintain ourselves as a culturally distinct community with a shared ancestry.

Mike Meyers, a Seneca consultant to the Institute for the Development of Indian Law, was asked to give his definition of sovereignty. He responded as follows:

“Ideally, sovereignty is the unrestricted right of a group of people to organize
themselves in political, social and cultural patterns that meet their needs. It
is the right of a people to freely define ways in which to use land, resources,
and [hu]man power for their common good. Above all, sovereignty is the
right of a people exist.”

[1] Kirk Kickingbird et al. “Indian Sovereignty,” 1978.