Chapter 6 Conservation Goals and Priorities
6.6 Native Americans Long before European explorers landed on North American shores there were Indigenous people who lived on North American land. They are the original stewards of the species, ecosystems, and landscapes. Their populations lived as both separate and intermingled communities or tribes and had their own cultures, languages, beliefs, social structure, and political ways of life. They are all independent nations with inherent powers for self- determination. Common terms used to refer collectively to these sovereign nations and their members include American Indians, Indigenous Americans, First Nations, Indigenous Nations, Indian Tribes, Native Americans, Native Nations, or some combination. It is with respect we use the term Native Americans to collectively refer to all indigenous people and the term Indian Tribe to identify communities with shared cultural, social, or governance histories. Whether Native Americans are members of an Indian Tribe recognized by federal or state governments or not, they are valued members of our communities and deserving of respect as individuals; every Tribal Nation is equally deserving of respect and autonomy. 6.6.1 Federal History and Indian Tribe Recognition Indian Tribes have the sovereign power to govern themselves based on pre-existing sovereignty that has been recognized or acknowledged by treaties, statutes, executive orders, and US Supreme Court decisions (USFWS 2011b) . The US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs is the federal agency established to fulfill trust responsibilities to Native American and Alaska Native tribes and individuals (USDOI 2025) . There is extensive history of the U.S. Federal government treatment and relationships with Native Americans. Much of that history is unpleasant and derogatory toward Native Americans and their Sovereign Nations. National policy has been inconsistent or contradictory, either idealistic or less than altruistic (USFWS 2011b) . We recognize this as something that should not be forgotten. Native American lands are neither federal nor public lands (not part of the public domain) and are not subject to federal public land laws. The lands were retained by Indian Tribes or were set aside for tribal use pursuant to treaties, statutes, judicial decisions, or executive orders or agreements. These lands are managed by the tribes in accordance with tribal goals and objectives, within the framework of applicable laws. Many locations have remained untouched by conventional land-use practices and, therefore, are islands of high-quality ecosystems and retain many sensitive species (USFWS 2011b) .
This section acknowledges there are historic and Federal legislation that currently guides recognition and government-to-government relationships between Native Americans and the
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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