Activism in Indian Country 1990-1991

This exhibit looks at the communications to and from Maria Elena Martinez circa 1990 to exemplify the networks built across Indian country and what issues were at the forefront of those activist networks. It also provides historical context for those issues and where those issues are today.

Important Terms

Indian Country -

The collective of the many tribes and Indigenous people of North America (primarily the United States). This includes reservations, traditional homelands, residents on reservations, and urban Natives/Natives in diaspora. This term is used within Indian Country and is preferred to “the Native American Community” because there are many Native American communities across North America, each with their own distinct identities. 

Tribal Sovereignty -

the concept that Indigenous tribes residing within the bounds of the United States have the natural right to self-govern