Kidwell and Velie Readings

Tribal sovereignty is rooted very heavily in the historical relationship between the federal government and the Native Americans. I thought the Native Americans were given their own sovereignty on their reservations by leading and guiding their own people, but not really. It seems like the federal government still has a firm grip on most aspects of their tribes and land reservations.
When I started reading about cultural issues, I thought I was going to be reading more about traditional living in regards to what Native Americans can and cannot do, but it’s more about what the government first allowed them to do but are now revoking those decisions. The issue of religion bothers me the most because I’m very tolerant of other religions and completely believe in the first amendment. However, to grant Native Americans and the American public the freedom to choose a religion then decide the religion isn’t benefiting the public because the land isn’t being used ‘properly’ is sheer ignorance and incompetence.
One issue I am mixed about is repatriation. I agree to an extent with both sides seeming there are benefits of both. Native Americans should receive some of their belongings back if they were stolen or if they are objects of ‘cultural patrimony’. On the other hand, I love going to museums and learning about different cultures and the history behind the items. If those items aren’t there, how is the public going to be informed about these cultures that are fading so rapidly.