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A Narrative Of Sovereignty: Illluminating The Paradox Of The Domestic Dependent Nation, Sarah Krakoff

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For the last thirty years the Supreme Court has been adjusting the boundaries of American Indian tribal sovereignty. Some cases affirm tribal inherent powers, but recently the trend has been to limit those powers. Yet neither the Court nor the Congress, which can reverse Supreme Court decisions on questions of tribal sovereignty, has been informed about how these alterations to tribal powers actually affect American Indian tribes on the ground. This article provides that information by examining the interplay between Supreme Court decisions and the Navajo Nation's exercise of its sovereign governmental powers from 1970-2003. In the categories of general …