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