Tribal sovereignty

Tribal sovereignty means that Native American tribes are kind of like their own countries within the United States. They are allowed to make their own rules and laws, and they have their own governments that are separate from the U.S. government.

Just like how the U.S. has a president and Congress, tribes have their own leaders and councils. These tribal governments make decisions about things like education, healthcare, and natural resources on their own land.

This is because Native American tribes were here long before the United States was created. They made agreements with the U.S. government called treaties that promised to protect their rights and land. Tribal sovereignty is a way to help those promises be upheld.

So, even though Native American tribes are part of the United States, they have their own unique governments and way of doing things that the rest of the country respects and recognizes.