To state that Native American governments are "relatively powerless" today is quite offensive.  In fact, many tribes exercise levels of sovereignty that many of us in the Native Hawaiian community would love to be able to exercise.  Many First Nations have their own lands they are able to manage directly; court systems that can claim jurisdiction over state or even federal claims depending on the issue; economic engines that help to provide for their members; and mostly, many have governments that are able to advocate for their interests.

Federal recognition is not some magical wand, but it inaccurate to say that they exercise less sovereignty as a result.  For those that think it makes them less sovereign, I'd like to see an analysis of how: 1) federally recognized tribes and their members fare compared to non-federally recognized tribes; 2) how the Native Hawaiian Nation exercises more sovereignty objectively than say the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, or the Sioux Nations here.