Native News
The Cost of Disengaging: How Washington Put a Price Tag on Tribal Sovereignty
Guest Opinion
Tribal Nations are the original sovereigns in North America, predating the establishment of the United States. The government-to-government relationship that Tribes share with the federal government today began as diplomatic relations between separate sovereigns that were later formalized through binding treaties. Recognizing Tribal Nations’ sovereign status, the Founders incorporated principles governing these formal relations into the U.S. Constitution, establishing a foundation for the federal–tribal relationship that continues today.
Yet, even with this history, the path to securing the right to vote and ensuring accurate enumeration of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) under the U.S. Census has never been easy. Indian Country is fortunate to have civic engagement leaders and political activists such as Zitkála-Šá (Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate) and World War II veteran Miguel Trujillo (Isleta Pueblo), who fought for Native citizenship and voting rights in the United States during the 20th century, respectively.
Like so many of our ancestors, Zitkála-Šá and Miguel Trujillo dedicated their lives to carrying two identities with pride so we could have the freedom to exercise both. They knew then what we, as dual Native and American citizens, inherently understand now: It will always be necessary for us to fight for our rights, especially in a mainstream culture that honors us in name but displaces our communities in practice.
Indian Country must never forget the democratic ideals upon which this country was founded: ideals that President Abraham Lincoln invoked a year after he authorized the country’s largest mass execution at the Massacre at Mankato as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” However, the contradiction between the promise that “all men are created equal” and the treatment of Native people, like the 38 Dakota men unjustly hanged, has never been lost on Indian Country, especially as Tribal communities continue to be chronically overlooked, under-resourced, and ignored by the United States. Our collective fight for representation in America’s democratic process is far from over.
Native voters now stand at the forefront of the most consequential civic moments of our generation. AI/AN participation in the 2026 general election and the 2030 Decennial Census will shape our future representation and policies impacting Tribal sovereignty. Both events present critical opportunities for change: from the composition of elected bodies representing AI/AN populations to federal policies accounting for Tribal Nations and AI/AN populations, as well as the total federal funding allocated annually to Tribal-serving programs upholding federal trust obligations and Tribal self-governance.
The cost of disengaging from either the 2026 general election or the 2030 Decennial Census will influence which Tribal communities will be seen, heard, and supported for years to come. AI/AN participation is essential to both.
However, systematic AI/AN exclusion continues to perpetuate underrepresentation. Nearly a quarter of eligible Native voters remain unregistered, contributing to turnout rates 16% below non-Native averages. In rural Tribal communities, ballot box access is further stifled by a lack of traditional addresses, vast travel distances, unreliable transportation, limited early-voting opportunities, a lack of federal administrative investments, and weak mail infrastructure, among other chronic barriers.
More alarmingly, AI/AN populations on Tribal lands experienced a 5.6% undercount during the 2020 Census, compounding decades of funding shortfalls in Indian Country. Because census data inform federal funding formulas across more than 20 agencies and subagencies, inaccurate AI/AN counts risk reducing resource allocations and compounding underinvestment in Tribal communities. Now, proposed federal changes to the 2030 Decennial Census and low AI/AN turnout could cost Tribal Nations approximately $37.5 billion in annual federal funding and congressional appropriations for Tribal-serving programs, or approximately $420 billion cumulatively over the decade, subject to inflation.
Native civic engagement is not a luxury. It is a necessity that comes with a hefty cost.
Indian Country cannot afford to disengage. Tribal leaders must encourage Native citizens to vote in November, fill out the 2030 Decennial Census, and remain active in defending against policies that impair AI/AN representation and civic participation, including opposing the U.S. Census Bureau’s proposed changes to remove AI/AN demographic data and change residency requirements in the upcoming census count.
Throughout history, America has too often demanded a devastating price from Indian Country. In 1862, President Lincoln cost us 38 Dakota Sioux lives, and now, President Trump could deprive Tribal Nations of $420 billion by 2040. History consistently demonstrates that U.S. democracy was “a birth of freedom” for American people … but not Indigenous people.
Our people will always have to pay to exercise that freedom, a freedom that our beloved 38 Dakota ancestors, Zitkála-Šá, Miguel Trujillo, and so many more sacrificed their lives to secure.
Now, it is our turn to decide the price we’ll pay to preserve that freedom.
The choice is ours.
Mark Macarro is president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and is the longtime tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in Southern California.
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