$\backslash$table$[[$The federal government plays a role in determining$],[$membership criteria for federally recognized tribes.$],[$There are pathways to federal recognition for tribes$],[$that are not currently recognized.$],[$When the United States designates a Native nation$],[$as a federally recognized tribe, it is an$],[$acknowledgement that the tribe's sovereignty$],[$predates the sovereignty of the United States.$],[$The number of federally recognized tribes is limited$],[$to the number of tribes who have treaties with the$],[$United States.$],[\backslash$table$[[$The federal government determines whether a tribe$],[$is federally recognized or not.$]]],[\backslash$table$[[$Native Hawaiians are considered members of$],[$federally recognized tribes.$]]],[\backslash$table$[[$Federal recognition is important because, unless$],[$otherwise specified, laws that are enacted to protect$],[$Native nations generally only apply to federally$],[$recognized tribes.$]]]]$