---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 3631"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "3631"
heading: "Tribal authority"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/3631"
units:
  - "Chapter 38 — Indian Tribal Justice Support"
  - "Subchapter III — Disclaimers"
---

# §3631. Tribal authority


Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to—

- (1) encroach upon or diminish in any way the inherent sovereign authority of each tribal government to determine the role of the [tribal justice system](/usc/25/3602.md?p=8) within the tribal government or to enact and enforce tribal laws;
- (2) diminish in any way the authority of tribal governments to appoint personnel;
- (3) impair the rights of each tribal government to determine the nature of its own legal system or the appointment of authority within the tribal government;
- (4) alter in any way any tribal traditional dispute resolution forum;
- (5) imply that any [tribal justice system](/usc/25/3602.md?p=8) is an instrumentality of the United States; or
- (6) diminish the trust responsibility of the United States to Indian tribal governments and [tribal justice systems](/usc/25/3602.md?p=8) of such governments.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–176, title III, § 301, Dec. 3, 1993, 107 Stat. 2009.)