Federal Government & National Organizations
In this Section
Tribes’ primary government-to-government relationship is with the U.S. federal government. Tribes work with federal agencies directly and also through regional and national tribal organizations that facilitate tribal-federal collaboration. To work successfully with tribes, state and local government agencies need to understand how their own projects fit into the bigger picture of tribes’ federal relationships and collaborations.
Key Concepts
Sovereignty refers to tribes’ right to govern themselves. As sovereign nations, tribes have the ability to make and enforce laws, and set policy relating to their members and lands.
Tribal sovereignty is recognized in federal law as an inherent right—one that goes back to the beginning of history and can’t be given or taken away, rather than a right given by the U.S. government or federal law.
Tribal governments are administratively equivalent to the U.S. federal government. Therefore, tribes and the federal government have a government-to-government relationship. In practice, this means that any policy decisions affecting a tribe must be negotiated and coordinated with the tribal government.
The federal trust responsibility refers to the legally enforceable promises that the U.S. government made in treaties with federally recognized Indian tribes. Tribes gave up lands in return for certain safeguards for their members, and the government is still responsible for providing these protections and services. Health care is part of the federal trust responsibility.