For the past 50 years, the Supreme Court has issued rulings that narrow tribal rights while Congress has worked to expand them. A recent ruling struck yet another blow against Native sovereignty.
When the Cherokee Supreme Court ruled that tribal elected officials no longer had to be Cherokee “by blood,” it was the latest chapter in a long-running fight over who controls tribal citizenship.
The upcoming Supreme Court session will address notable cases about the rights of different groups. The cases go to the heart of how U.S. laws protect both individual and group rights.
President Trump hinted that he would defy a Supreme Court ruling recently, though he later yielded to its authority. Andrew Jackson – Trump’s hero – likewise challenged the rule of law in the 1830s.