Changing face of tribal identity: State recognition of Indian tribes

Abstract

State governments are beginning to provide formal recognition to non-federally recognized Indian tribes. This essay examines the actions of nine different states and asks why this recognition is extended to some groups while being denied to others. It also looks at why states are doing this in the first place. Moreover, the implications of this practice for the larger issue of American federalism are probed. Finally, the current state of this practice in the state of Oklahoma and its likely future are also examined.