So, why don't we examine this form of government for today? According to the journalist, Doreen Yellow Bird, The answer to that question is easy: Because those days are gone. A government by consensus would be like the governments of today only with more problems added in. Our leaders have turned into political players, and you can't turn back that page. One of the problems that our leaders face, my colleague from Montana said, is that many of our people suffer from a strong survival need. This need is so strong that it kept us alive during those days when diseases and the federal government fenced us into reservations. We still carry that need, he said.
More and more, I read and hear that Indian people are thinking about our tribal governments and how well they do or do not work, and that gives me hope. As more people who are thinking this way return to their homelands and reservations to provide expertise, our tribal governments could turn the corner toward functioning in ways that would help our people and make our lives better.