The Sovereignty Is Ours: Restructuring Tribal Constitutions and a Roadmap to Reclaiming Traditional Governance

Abstract

This dissertation examines the historical and contemporary impacts of externally imposed governance structures on Native Nations, with a focus on resistance to and reform of non-traditional constitutions. Drawing on in-depth case studies, Tribal government documents, and interviews with Tribal leaders and community members, this study challenges the legacies of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and other federal policies that disrupted traditional governance systems and imposed foreign frameworks of Tribal governance. It explores how these systems have influenced internal political dynamics, limited Tribal sovereignty, and perpetuated paternalistic control.

Through a critical Indigenous lens, the research highlights how Tribal Nations are actively resisting and reforming these imposed systems by reclaiming culturally grounded governance models. It centers Tribal political thought, sovereignty, and self-determination as both theoretical frameworks and lived realities. By analyzing movements toward constitutional reform and governmental transformation, the dissertation demonstrates how Tribes are not only decolonizing governance structures but also revitalizing traditional modes of leadership and accountability that is rooted in relationality, kinship, and cultural knowledge.

This work contributes to broader conversations on Native futurity and nation-building by offering practical and theoretical insights for Tribal communities engaged in constitutional reform and decolonization. It underscores the imperative of Tribal-led governance as a pathway toward genuine self-determination and cultural resurgence.