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An interesting facet of Indian life is that Native American tribes have federally protected rights to maintain their own tribal sovereignty. What this means is that tribes operate as independent, self-determining government bodies in trust with the federal government.
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Treaties and agreements between the tribes and the United States government validate this sovereignty. In fact, the federal government has acknowledged the inherent nature of sovereignty in the U.S. Constitution.
Indian tribes are equivalent to states in their relationship with the federal government. Indian tribes, their people and their reservations are no different than any other city, county, state or federal government. As an independent, sovereign entity, tribes rely on their councils, which act as the governing body for their respective tribe. The Sycuan tribal council consists of seven democratically elected officials who determine and administer laws, conditions and regulations by which tribal members are to comply. In addition to tribal laws, Sycuan also complies with federal laws and applicable state laws. |
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