The approximately [325][1] federal Indian reservations are formally and legally called "domestic dependent nations". So, you might consider this "their own countries". [25 USC (2020)][2]: > As domestic dependent nations, Indian tribes exercise inherent sovereign powers over their members and territory. > > The United States recognizes the right of Indian tribes to self-government and supports tribal sovereignty and self-determination. NCSL ([2013][3]): > The U.S. Constitution recognizes Indian tribes as distinct governments and they have, with a few exceptions, the same powers as federal and state governments to regulate their internal affairs. [USAFacts.org][4]: > Tribes possess all the powers of self-government, including the rights to: > > • Form a government > > • Make and enforce laws, both civil and criminal > > • Tax property or sales > > • Establish and determine tribal membership > > • License and regulate activities within their jurisdiction (including hunting, environmental control, land use, and gambling) > > • Exclude people from tribal lands > > Tribes cannot declare war, engage in foreign diplomacy, or print and issue their own currency. [1]: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/fact-sheet/american-indians-and-alaska-natives-numbers [2]: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title25/html/USCODE-2020-title25-chap46-sec5301.htm [3]: https://www.ncsl.org/quad-caucus/an-issue-of-sovereignty [4]: https://usafacts.org/articles/how-native-american-tribes-and-the-us-government-relate-to-each-other/