Indigenous Peoples and Power: A Historic Victory, an Unfinished Struggle

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By Cherlie Joseph | Reading time: 2 minutes

SPECIAL ANALYSIS. “It took 250 years for Native Americans to govern their own territory,” declares an image circulating on Facebook. The statement conveys understandable indignation, but it needs historical precision. Indigenous nations had leaders and systems of government long before the United States existed. Their authority did not begin with an American election. Federal law itself recognizes that tribes retain inherent powers of self-government.

The recent electoral breakthrough nevertheless carries historical significance. Deb Haaland was elected governor of New Mexico in November 2026, becoming the first Native American woman elected to lead a U.S. state. She will take office in January 2027. But governing a state and exercising an Indigenous nation’s sovereignty are different responsibilities. Understanding that distinction allows us to recognize both the achievement and its limits.

The deeper question is why such milestones are still arriving so late. An Indigenous woman reaching a governor’s office deserves recognition. The fact that her victory remains unprecedented also demands scrutiny of the historical barriers surrounding political power.

That scrutiny must include what government policies sought to destroy. Federal boarding schools pursued the assimilation of Indigenous children and the erasure of their cultures. An official investigation documented deaths and burial sites associated with that system. Political exclusion belongs to this broader history of harm to families, cultures, and communities.

In our view, representation must be judged by its consequences. Will tribal governments’ decisions receive greater respect? Will Indigenous nations gain stronger protection for their lands, waters, and languages? Will treaty obligations be honored?

A leader’s identity carries symbolic weight. Meaningful change also requires decisions, resources, and accountability. No single elected official can speak for the diversity of Indigenous nations or resolve generations of injustice.

Celebrating this victory is justified. Describing it as the complete recovery of Indigenous territory would be premature. Repair requires Indigenous peoples to exercise meaningful authority over their futures—and institutions to respect that authority.

Their political history began long before American institutions opened their doors to them.