Sovereignty
The authority of a people to govern themselves, make their own laws and manage their own territory.
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Many indigenous nations governed themselves long before today's states existed and say they never gave that authority up. Some countries recognise a limited form of it in law. Tribal sovereignty in the United States means tribes have their own governments, courts and laws, within limits set by federal law.
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Answers that use this word
- What is the difference between a tribe, an ethnic group, an indigenous people and a nation?
- How many federally recognised tribes are there in the United States, and what does recognition mean?
- How do tribes govern themselves?
- What is a treaty with indigenous peoples?
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