America 250: Native American Nations and the Making of the United States

Throughout 2026, and in partnership with the America 250-Ohio Commission, the City Club will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States by exploring all the ways that Ohio has contributed to U.S. history for 250+ years. In January, our state will recognize the unique contributions of Ohio\'s firsts and originals.\r\n\r\nSince day one, and throughout the entirety of our country\'s formation, Native Americans served as defining threads - and participants - in U.S. politics. Article 1, Section 8 (also known as the \"Indian Commerce Clause\") in the U.S. Constitution establishes a unique federal-tribal relationship, acknowledging tribal sovereignty and self-governance. Today, it serves as the backbone for federal Indian law, which spans hundreds of years, impacting both tribal and non-tribal communities. What are the landmark moments in history that influenced the trajectory of our nation, particularly in the Great Lakes region? And how are modern Native Nations influencing the growth of the United States today?\r\n\r\nMatthew L.M. Fletcher is a leading tribal law expert, and is the Harry Burns Hutchins Collegiate Professor of Law and Professor of American Culture at the University of Michigan. He teaches and writes in the areas of federal Indian law, American Indian tribal law, Anishinaabe legal and political philosophy, constitutional law, federal courts, and legal ethics. He sits as the chief justice of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; as well as an appellate judge for many other tribal nations. Fletcher also co-authored the sixth, seventh, and eighth editions of Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law and three editions of American Indian Tribal Law, the only casebook for law students on tribal law.