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> Do we really want to have separate legal systems based on ethnicity or tribal membership?

And how does one certify identity/ethnicity and why won't individuals claim as many (or as little) of them?

Well it's certified based on tribal membership, which is an actual, de jure status. When I wrote ethnicity I am just acknowledging that it's so closely tied to tribal membership that they are effectively the same.

I imagine the tribes can grant status to anyone they like as a sovereign nation, just like America can grant citizenship to whomever it decides.

In the exact same way that every country in the world operates. The tribal government sets the criteria that must be met to be a member of the tribe.

I see, so, just like how around the world peers recognize the ability of a self-proclaimed nation of define their own nationality so in this case the US is the peer that recognizes tribal government sovereign authority to define who is has membership in it (among other things).

Does tribal governments not have legal jurisdictions? Judicial institutions?

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