Samantha Bee looks at tribal sovereignty and its strange array of powerful enemies


Donald Trump got plenty of flak for suggesting that a U.S. federal judge was biased against him because of the judge's "Mexican heritage," but he's not alone, said Samantha Bee on Monday's Full Frontal. "The 'brown judges aren't being fair to me' argument is being made right now, in the Supreme Court, which will decide as early as tomorrow whether tribe members can sue Dollar General for an alleged sexual assault against a 13-year-old boy." For decades, the Supreme Court has been "snatching away the tribal courts' powers, the same way we snatched away most of their land and most of their turquoise," she added. "But what are tribal courts actually like?" Bee went to North Carolina to take a look.
The upshot is that they are very similar to other U.S. courts, except that thanks to Supreme Court precedent, they can't try non-Native Americans who commit crimes on tribal lands, Bee said. Now, Dollar General wants to take away their right to sue for damages, too. That's fine with some people, Bee said, and she interviewed one of them: "Elaine Willman is an activist and leader of the Citizens' Equal Rights Alliance, a group that opposes tribal sovereignty, works to take back native lands, and rallies with local lawmakers and senators to undo contracts tribes have with the federal government."
"It's amazing who fills the vacuum on Native American issues simply because not enough people care to show up," Bee said wryly, after letting Willman say some very quotable things. But she also sat down with the chief justice of the Cherokee Supreme Court, and talked about what his court can and can't do — and this brought her back to Trump: "So what you're saying is that Americans are coming over tribal borders, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, some you assume are good people — where have I heard that before?" Watch below — but note, there is some fleeting NSFW language. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published