Throughout the United States, there are 566 indivudual recognized Native American nations residing within various federally-granted reserves and territories.  Almost half of these nations are located within Alaska, while the rest are located in a various 33 states.  All Native American nations are recognized as sovereign by the United States government, but land disputes and federally-passed legislations over the past several centuries have pushed for further white and U.S. encroachment on fundamentally indigenous land.

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Tribal governments within the various nations found on United States soil are independently responsible for the upkeep of their own lannd, determination of citizenship, the establishment of civil and criminal laws, and infrastructure.  Despite these nations' basic sovereignty, the U.S's federal government continues to keep a keen eye on Native American reserves, and many exhanges of land, property, and commerce are regulated by the federal government.

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Within tribe politics, women have begun to grow ever more powerful as they take the positions of chief, chairwoman, and representors of their people.  In the past, women have always served important roles in their tribal governance, but only recently have they been allowed into clear positions of power; developments that have undoubtedly allowed for further equality and represenation for Native American women.