Although these were 'official' acts, they were of the same legal character as vigilante violence against Indians. Tribal governments have the power to make laws and enforce laws for tribal members living on the reservation. Tribes generally have courts, a police force and security facilities. Tribal governments can tax tribal members and they have the right to tax non-Indians who lease Indian lands. They can tax private companies who extract resources on tribal lands.
Tribal governments make decisions about civil disputes which take place on reservation land.
However, federal law enforcement officials handle major crimes that take place on Indian lands. Indian reservations are located within or in some cases across state boundaries. Indian lands are not a part of state lands. States, however, do not have the right to control the activities of tribal governments or tribal members who live on reservation lands. They do not have this right because Indian lands are not part of state lands.