Imagining Real Democracy discussion series 

September 28 - *Tribal Sovereignty

--->Action: PRE-REGISTRATION is required. Email [email protected] to receive an invitation to the online meeting connection, any changes, and readings in advance of the discussion. Type “Imagining Democracy” in the subject line.

DATE:  September 28, 2020

TIME: 6-6:15 p.m. Social Gathering; 6:15-8 p.m. Discussion

LOCATION: Online. This will be held using Google Meet; you must pre-register by contacting Jeff at [email protected].

QUESTIONS: Jeff at [email protected]

For this discussion, our distinguished guest participant will be Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein (HD 41B), first elected to the MN House of Representatives in 2016, at which point she was one of four Native American members of the legislature. 

We will be assembling some readings and videos so that you can prepare for the discussion.  Let us know you are interested and when we set up the Google Meet we will include you and send you the reading list.

*Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the concept of the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States. Originally, the U.S. federal government recognized American Indian tribes as independent nations, and came to policy agreements with them via treaties. As the U.S. accelerated its westward expansion, internal political pressure grew for "Indian removal", but the pace of treaty-making grew nevertheless. Then the Civil War forged the U.S. into a more centralized and nationalistic country, fueling a "full bore assault on tribal culture and institutions", and pressure for Native Americans to assimilate.[1] In the Indian Appropriations Act of 1871, without any input from Native Americans, Congress prohibited any future treaties. This was steadfastly opposed by Native Americans.[1] Currently, the U.S. recognizes tribal nations as "domestic dependent nations"[2] and uses its own legal system to define the relationship between the federal, state, and tribal governments. Source: Wikipedia