"An Indian tribe is sovereign to the extent that the U.S. permits it to be sovereign"

This quote by Russell Smith is referring to the legal status of Native American people in the United States. It suggests that the sovereignty of Native American tribes is limited by the U.S. government. This suggests that the U.S. federal government has the power to restrict the rights and authority of Native American people. This is due to the truth that Native American people are thought about to be "domestic dependent countries" under U.S. law. This suggests that the U.S. government has the power to control the activities of Native American people and can restrict their sovereignty. This quote is a suggestion that Native American people are not totally independent from the U.S. government and that their sovereignty is limited by the U.S. government.