Domestic dependent nations

Domestic dependent nations is a legal term describing the status of Native American tribes within the United States. It originates from the 1831 Supreme Court case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, in which Chief Justice John Marshall described the tribes' relationship to the federal government as resembling that of a ward to its guardian, neither a fully foreign nation nor a body entirely subject to state jurisdiction. Under this doctrine, tribes retain a degree of sovereignty and self-government while remaining subordinate to federal authority. The classification rests on three principles recognized through Supreme Court decisions and constitutional provisions: tribal authority over Indian lands arises independently rather than through a grant from the states, Congress holds plenary power over tribal affairs, and the federal government owes tribes a trust relationship obligating it to protect their interests. The United States currently recognizes more than 575 tribal governments and 326 Indian reservations under this domestic dependent nation status.