| There are 563 Federally recognized tribal | | | | Americans had been "mongrelized" with its African |
| governments in the United States. The United | | | | American population. A law passed by the state's |
| States recognizes the right of these tribes to | | | | General Assembly recognized only two races, |
| self-government and supports their tribal | | | | "white" and "colored". Plecker pressured local |
| sovereignty and self-determination. These tribes | | | | governments into reclassifying all Native |
| possess the right to form their own government, | | | | Americans in the state as "colored", leading to the |
| to enforce laws (both civil and criminal), to tax, to | | | | destruction of records on the state's Native |
| establish membership, to license and regulate | | | | American community. |
| activities, to zone and to exclude persons from | | | | Maryland also has a non-recognized tribal nation |
| tribal territories. Limitations on tribal powers of | | | | — the Piscataway Indian Nation. |
| self-government include the same limitations | | | | In order to receive federal recognition and the |
| applicable to states; for example, neither tribes | | | | benefits it confers, tribes must prove their |
| nor states have the power to make war, engage | | | | continuous existence since 1900. The federal |
| in foreign relations, or coin money. | | | | government has so far refused to bend on this |
| According to 2003 United States Census Bureau | | | | bureaucratic requirement.[20] A bill currently |
| estimates, a little over one third of the 2,786,652 | | | | before U.S. Congress to ease this requirement |
| Native Americans in the United States live in three | | | | has been favorably reported out of a key Senate |
| states: California at 413,382, Arizona at 294,137 | | | | committee, being supported by both of Virginia's |
| and Oklahoma at 279,559. | | | | senators, George Allen and John Warner, but |
| As of 2000, the largest tribes in the U.S. by | | | | faces opposition in the House from |
| population were Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw, | | | | Representative Virgil Goode, who has expressed |
| Sioux, Chippewa, Apache, Lumbee, Blackfeet, | | | | concerns that federal recognition could open the |
| Iroquois, and Pueblo. In 2000, eight of ten | | | | door to gambling in the state. |
| Americans with Native American ancestry were | | | | In the early 21st century, Native American |
| of mixed blood. It is estimated that by 2100 that | | | | communities remain an enduring fixture on the |
| figure will rise to nine of ten.[14] In addition, there | | | | United States landscape, in the American |
| are a number of tribes that are recognized by | | | | economy, and in the lives of Native Americans. |
| individual states, but not by the federal | | | | Communities have consistently formed |
| government. The rights and benefits associated | | | | governments that administer services like |
| with state recognition vary from state to state. | | | | firefighting, natural resource management, and law |
| Then there are Tribal Nations that have been | | | | enforcement. Most Native American communities |
| denied recognition such as the Muwekma Ohlone | | | | have established court systems to adjudicate |
| and the Miami tribe of Indiana. Many of the smaller | | | | matters related to local ordinances, and most also |
| eastern tribes have been trying to gain official | | | | look to various forms of moral and social |
| recognition of their tribal status. The recognition | | | | authority vested in traditional affiliations within the |
| confers some benefits, including the right to label | | | | community. To address the housing needs of |
| arts and crafts as Native American and | | | | Native Americans, Congress passed the Native |
| permission to apply for grants that are specifically | | | | American Housing and Self Determination Act |
| reserved for Native Americans. But gaining | | | | (NAHASDA) in 1996. This legislation replaced public |
| recognition as a tribe is extremely difficult | | | | housing, and other 1937 Housing Act programs |
| because of a Catch-22 in the process. To be | | | | directed towards Indian Housing Authorities, with a |
| established as a tribal group, members have to | | | | block grant program directed towards Tribes. |
| submit extensive genealogical proof of tribal | | | | Gambling has become a leading industry. Casinos |
| descent, yet in past years many Native | | | | operated by many Native American governments |
| Americans denied their Native American heritage, | | | | in the United States are creating a stream of |
| because it would have deprived them of many | | | | gambling revenue that some communities are |
| rights, such as the right of probate. | | | | beginning to use as leverage to build diversified |
| Military defeat, cultural pressure, confinement on | | | | economies. Native American communities have |
| reservations, forced cultural assimilation, outlawing | | | | waged and prevailed in legal battles to assure |
| of native languages and culture, termination | | | | recognition of rights to self-determination and to |
| policies of the 1950s and 1960s and earlier, | | | | use of natural resources. Some of those rights, |
| slavery, and poverty have had deleterious effects | | | | known as treaty rights are enumerated in early |
| on Native Americans' mental and physical health. | | | | treaties signed with the young United States |
| Contemporary health problems suffered | | | | government. Tribal sovereignty has become a |
| disproportionately include alcoholism, heart disease, | | | | cornerstone of American jurisprudence, and at |
| diabetes, and New World Syndrome. | | | | least on the surface, in national legislative policies. |
| As recently as the 1970s, the Bureau of Indian | | | | Although many Native American tribes have |
| Affairs was still actively pursuing a policy of | | | | casinos, they are a source of conflict. Most tribes, |
| "assimilation", dating at least to the Indian | | | | especially small ones such as the Winnemem |
| Citizenship Act of 1924. The goal of assimilation | | | | Wintu of Redding, California, feel that casinos and |
| — plainly stated early on — | | | | their proceeds destroy culture from the inside out. |
| was to eliminate the reservations and steer | | | | These tribes refuse to participate in the gaming |
| Native Americans into mainstream U.S. culture. In | | | | industry. |
| July 2000 the Washington state GOP adopted a | | | | On May 19, 2005, the Massachusetts legislature |
| resolution of "termination" for tribal governments. | | | | finally repealed a disused 330 year-old law that |
| As of 2004, there are still claims of theft of | | | | barred Native Americans from entering Boston. |
| Native American land for the coal and uranium it | | | | In August 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic |
| contains. | | | | Association (NCAA) banned the use of "hostile |
| In the state of Virginia, Native Americans face a | | | | and abusive" Native American mascots from |
| unique problem. Virginia has no federally | | | | postseason tournaments. The use of Native |
| recognized tribes, largely due to Walter Ashby | | | | American themed team names in U.S. professional |
| Plecker. In 1912, Plecker became the first registrar | | | | sports is widespread and often controversial, with |
| of the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics, serving | | | | examples such as Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland |
| until 1946. Plecker believed that the state's Native | | | | Indians and the Washington Redskins. |