America 250: Richard Trudell Says Tribal Nations Must Be Central to the Story in Q&A

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Editor’s Note: This exclusive interview is part Native News Online’s America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land iniaitive.

Richard Trudell (Santee Sioux) was inducted into the Native American Hall of Fame in 2023 for a lifetime of leadership and advocacy on behalf of tribal nations. He founded the American Indian Lawyer Training Program (AILTP) in 1973 and later established the American Indian Resources Institute (AIRI), creating programs that strengthened Tribal self-determination and legal advocacy.

Under his leadership, AILTP launched the Indian Law Reporter in 1974, a landmark publication that remains an important resource in federal Indian law. In 1990, Trudell convened Tribal leaders from across the country to help shape a national legislative agenda for Indian Country, including forums developed at the request of the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who was serving as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

A veteran with degrees in accounting and law, Trudell has served on the boards of numerous national organizations, including the Native American Rights Fund and the Legal Services Corporation, where he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter.

In this conversation, he reflects on Native leadership, tribal sovereignty, and the enduring contributions of Indigenous peoples to the United States.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

To acknowledge the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Native News Online’s initiative is called “America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land.” What are your thoughts on the title?

It is accurate. Two hundred and fifty years is a blip in the timeline of this Republic. Indigenous peoples already occupied and governed most of the continent. Through a combination of diplomacy, force, and other factors, settlers were able to establish colonies and eventually a republic on Native land.

As the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, do you view the occasion primarily as a celebration, a reminder of historical injustice, a mix of both, or something else?

For those whose history here goes back 250 years, it is a celebration. For Indigenous peoples and other people of color, it is difficult to view it as an anniversary of freedom. Tribal nations endured Indian wars, forced removals, broken treaties, termination policies, and attempts at cultural and physical genocide.

Most Americans know very little about Native history. Important milestones include the Meriam Report, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, and the 1961 American Indian Chicago Conference, where Tribal leaders developed the Declaration of Indian Purpose. That document helped plant the seeds of the self-determination era that emerged in the 1970s.

As a Native American and an American with dual citizenship, how do you reconcile the fact that our ancestors were called “merciless Indian savages” in the Declaration of Independence?

At the time, Native people were not considered fully human by those who wrote the Declaration. They did not respect our governments, leaders, or societies. Native people experienced violence, dispossession, slavery, and efforts to erase our existence. We were not granted U.S. citizenship until 1924.

What would make the nation’s 250th anniversary more meaningful and inclusive for Native people and Tribal Nations?

All of the above: greater recognition of Tribal sovereignty, accurate history education, acknowledgment of Indigenous lands, and policies that benefit Tribal Nations.

Most importantly, history must be taught honestly. For decades, Native history was written largely by non-Natives. Writers such as Vine Deloria Jr., N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Dee Brown, Felix Cohen, and Charles Wilkinson helped change that. We need more Native voices telling our own stories.

Looking ahead to the next 250 years, what is your greatest hope for the relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States government?

Much depends on the federal trust responsibility. Courts established it, but administrations, Congress, and the courts can weaken or ignore it. We are seeing challenges today through the dismantling of federal programs and agencies.

Artificial intelligence presents another concern. Tribes must maintain control over their own data and cultural knowledge. How Tribal Nations navigate these challenges will shape the future.

How should the United States reconcile with its origin on Native land?

The United States has never fully honored its treaty obligations. Hundreds of treaties were broken, and Tribal Nations lost tens of millions of acres through policies such as allotment.

While there is still federal land that could be returned, I do not expect the government to take significant steps in that direction. We may hear apologies, but meaningful land restoration seems unlikely.

What does Tribal sovereignty mean over the next 250 years?

I am encouraged by the strength of Tribal governments today. Many tribes have built healthier and more effective governmental structures.

My greatest concern is water. Water rights will become increasingly important, especially in the Southwest. As water becomes scarcer and more valuable, Tribal Nations will face new challenges in protecting this essential resource.

How are Tribal Nations shaping the future of the United States?

Tribes are demonstrating the value of traditional ecological knowledge. Native communities have long understood how to manage fire, protect water, restore fisheries, and care for ecosystems.

We also continue to defend sacred places. Mountains, rivers, and other landscapes are central to our origin stories and cultures. Tribal Nations play an important role in protecting these places for future generations.

What do truth, accountability, and visibility look like in a national commemoration?

The federal government’s history with Native people is often ignored because it is painful and difficult to confront. Yet an honest commemoration requires acknowledging that history.

If we look closely at the past 250 years, we see Indian wars, forced removals, treaty violations, termination policies, and acts of genocide. Events such as the 1862 Dakota War and the mass execution of Dakota men in Mankato remain largely absent from the national narrative.

Truth, accountability, and visibility begin with telling the full story—not just the parts that are comfortable to celebrate.

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