Tribal Governments,Sovereignty, and Relations with the U.S. Government( Jesus Saenz)

This chapter deals with Native American sovereignty and the complex laws that are placed on them by the U.S. Government. This chapter also goes into detail on how far Native Americans can run their own land as in laws and regulations or when the U.S. Government has to step in. The relationship between the U.S. Government and the Native Americans is a long and rocky relationship starting when the fur traders started coming and choosing “Fur Chiefs” in which they could talk to and in most cases manipulate. Also according to our notes from class the Dawes act which has been referred to the worst piece of legislation made was introduced in 1887 which was made to register Native Americans. It would grant them 160 acres of land, however rarely did that land get to them it was usually taken away or never given. There are still many people fighting land allotments from thirty years back. The sovereignty issues are a long and complex issue. Sovereignty is a nation within a nation with limited powers. Currently there are 400 active treaties in effect acknowledging the tribal sovereign protecting their land and recourses. The U.S. Government holds the right to step in or a Plenary Power which in turn has huge control over tribes and has diminished their form of government.
This chapter really is disturbing because it shows how badly they were treated. I thought I had an idea of how they were treated but this chapter has opened my eyes to how badly it really was and as far as we know it could have been worst. They have been cheated and no one has paid for it. I once thought that they were free to run their land on the reservations but now that I read this chapter it really isn’t like that the government really has both hand deep in their way of life and how things go.