Episode 21. Native American Series | 5 Tribes and 8 Sovereign Nations in the Utah Region | Brenda Beyal, Cally Flox, Heather Sundahl, Stephanie West

Join Brenda Beyal, Stephanie West, Heather Sundahl, and Cally Flox as they discuss questions regarding the 5 tribes and 8 sovereign nations that reside in Utah and surrounding areas.

Brenda Beyal, program coordinator for the Native American Curriculum Initiative, Stephanie West, an instructional designer working on the NACI asynchronous professional development course, and Heather Sundahl, a writer and editor with the Native American Curriculum Initiative, join Cally Flox to discuss the term ‘sovereignty.’ What does it mean to be a sovereign nation? How can we talk about tribal groups versus tribal nations versus sovereign nations?

Five Native American Tribal Groups in Utah

First, the hosts define what it means to be a “tribe." Five tribal groups reside in the region of Utah and surrounding areas; within those tribal groups are eight sovereign nations. Cally shares a pneumonic device: “SUNG-P” that helps her remember the names of the five tribes: Shoshone, Ute, Navajo, Goshute and Paiute. The Navajo and Shoshone want to be called Nations; the others—Goshute, Ute, and Paiute—want to be called Tribes. These three groups have two sovereign nations each, which makes eight sovereign nations total in Utah when added to the Navajo and the Shoshone.

What is a Sovereign Nation?

Heather, Cally, Stephanie, and Brenda discuss the various meanings and layers of a sovereign nation. To Brenda, sovereignty means the ability to self-govern, much like states self-govern. While the definition of sovereignty denotes a nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government, Stephanie reminds us that sovereignty existed long before colonizers came to North America. Over time, the definition of sovereignty has evolved due to changing laws and attitudes.

Why Sovereignty Matters to Indigenous People

574 sovereign nations exist in the United States, eight of which reside in Utah. However, over 200 more tribes are seeking federal recognition through a long and elaborate process. Sovereignty is important because it provides access to resources and funds, but most importantly, it provides opportunity for reclamation and recognition.

The Utah flag bears an outdated representation of the region's tribes. When the state's flag was created in the 19th century, Utah hosted residence to six tribes, represented by an eagle with six arrows in its beak. Now, since the Bannock Tribe has been relocated to Idaho, five tribes remain. Heather hopes the flag will offer a more accurate representation of the native tribes that reside in the area of Utah when officials complete its redesign.

The hosts explain that the money Native Americans receive towards healthcare and scholarships is treaty money. This money was given by the federal government as a compromised remuneration in exchange for Native land, and was probably under-negotiated at the outset. A current Supreme Court ruling allows for abrogation of Native treaties, or the modification of treaties over time without the consent of the relevant indigenous group: every single Native American treaty has been changed over time, often without the consent of Native Americans. To summarize: previously negotiated funding is not a gift; it comes at a price.

Land Acknowledgements: What is a land acknowledgment? How do I make one?

Another way listeners can move toward reciprocity and restitution is by practicing the act of land acknowledgment. Understanding that the definition of Native land is complex and includes three sometimes distinct types (tribal, reservation, and ancestral), land acknowledgment is the awareness and appreciation of the ancestral lands of a group of people who were caretakers much further back than our ancestors were. Brenda shares an example of a land acknowledgment in this episode and in this blog post.

As part of a land acknowledgment, offer a pledge to be a thoughtful steward by sharing specific ways that your family will help care for the land: pick up trash, or donate to a program that helps spread awareness about environmental consciousness, contributing to a scholarship fund for people whose ancestors were once on this land.

In an effort to create awareness, activate empathy, and learn the beautiful principles that the Native people have to teach us about caring for our land, the BYU ARTS Partnership regularly offers land acknowledgments at conferences and professional development meetings. Brenda and Cally remind listeners that although mistakes and injustices have been made in the past, we live in a time when we can make a difference. We don’t have to look back and feel shame, but rather we can propagate a spirit of unity that propels us forward towards reciprocity and restitution. We can help Native people reclaim their history and heritage by communicating, validating, and honoring their feelings and stories.

Learn about Tribal Land, Reservation Land, and Ancestral Land.

Native land includes tribal land, reservation land, and ancestral land. Sometimes these things are the same, and sometimes they’re not. Tribal lands include lands that tribes bought back from the federal government. Reservation land is federal land set aside for tribal use and legal jurisdiction through the recognition of the federal government. Ancestral land includes land on which native peoples used to live; these lands are often difficult to reclaim due to the forcible removal of native peoples from their ancestral land in the 1800’s. For example, some tribes’ ancestral lands are in the southeast, but their current tribal lands are in an entirely different location. Those tribes have lost their ancestral land, which often had fluid borders.

Find more information on this topic at our blog post titled “Native Nations Fact Sheet: Five Tribes Eight Nations in the Utah Region."