At the heart of Native American culture is the right of self-determination and self-government—which has been part and parcel of tribes’ status as sovereign entities. It dictated how tribes conducted themselves for as long as they’ve existed. It had laid the groundwork for their interaction with a federal government.

While sovereignty as a legal principle has been part of the fabric of federal-tribal relations for hundreds of years, it has been reaffirmed and reinforced throughout history. Legislative actions have respected it. Legal rulings have upheld it. And the Constitution codified it—right after it outlined the hope for “a more perfect union.”

With sovereign rights under attack, the fabric of that more perfect union, especially the relationship that exists between the federal government and Indian country, has begun to fray.

As a result, the tribes are now forming a more perfect union amongst themselves, joining together to fight a gross overreach by governmental entities, including the State of New York’s Department of Financial Services, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), FDIC, Department of Justice, and others.