Tribal sovereignty is not necessarily a function of land area, population size or competitive significance. The essence lies in the freedom to make or recognize rules and principals of personal conduct and social order. This essential liberty springs from the community between particular people, their past, future and their sacred land base. The legislative history of the Federal Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 states that recognition of a tribe is critical, not just to the tribe\u27s interests, but to the legitimacy of federal power, as the Constitution empowers Congress to legislate only with respect to Indian tribes rather than mere individuals. Since the promulgation of the recognition regulations in 1978, tribes have on a numb...