From First Nations to Self-Government

Abstract

The indigenous movement in the United States moves from aboriginal autonomy to quasi-conquest and domination, internal colonies, and tribal reservations and back to limited self-government and claims to sovereignty. This article traces the roots and efforts of the U.S. indigenous movement to maintain political autonomy, land, and cultural autonomy within the legal, political, and cultural institutions of the United States. The American Indian experience is quite different from the experiences of most indigenous peoples, but the U.S. indigenous movement illustrates some fundamental points of the indigenous perspective and provides a model for defining indigenous relations with nation-states.