Keep in mind, it is within this context that they approached treaty negotiations which would ultimately define their sovereign status. Tribal sovereignty is used quite frequent in today's discussions about Indian affairs. It was a term that did not exist in the native languages. It became a necessary term as European people and native people negotiated and defined agreements. Moreover, it continues to carry with it a defining nature for the future of Indian affairs.
Tribal sovereignty is to be protected for today and for the future.
This is so much so that a legislator in the Southwest erroneously tried to enact the Indian Sovereignty Definition Act of 1998. While tribes in the Southwest have been able to stop this particular policy for now, no doubt actions to redefine tribal sovereignty will continue. In addition, similar threats to tribal sovereignty are posed from multiple directions every day. Tribal governments and individual tribal members may engage in policy discussions in a variety of ways in an effort to protect tribal sovereignty. No one way may be better than another.