Land is of great spiritual and cultural significance to Indian tribes, and many Indian communities are still reliant upon the land for subsistence through hunting, fishing, gathering or agriculture. Most of these lands are in very arid and remote regions. The largest reservation is the Navajo Nation, which is a large as West Virginia.
Some reservations are as small as a few acres, and some tribes hold no land at all.
The title to tribal lands is held by the federal government in a trust status for the benefit of current and future generations of tribal members. Most often this land is within the boundaries of a reservation. Trust status means that the land falls under tribal government authority and is generally not subject to state laws. Trust status also creates limitations on the use of the land and requires federal approval for most actions. The federal government and the tribes have the ability to acquire additional land in trust.