I’m sure there’s as many different ways Indians viewed “their lands” as they were tribes. My point was John Wayne was using it as a White Man vs Red Man. Frankly, when it all boils down to “Can you fend what’s yours. If not, it’s not yours for much longer”
None of the tribes are able to use or control their lands in traditional ways. The federal government set up laws regarding Indian land that automatically divided ownership between an Indians descendants when they died if they did not have a will. At the time they did this, few indians had any idea what a will was. In a few generations such a way that the land became so rapidly subdivided that it was nigh impossible to buy or sell it, or to make any economic use of it because you need permission from every single part owner involved. My own family owns a plot of land that I believe is shared between something like 130+ different co-owners. The only upside is that we don’t pay taxes on it. It’s one of the major reasons that American Indian reservations are so damn dysfunctional. Fortunately, I don’t currently live on reservation and I deeply resent the left’s attempts to make the whole country just like one.
P.S.
I love John Wayne, I grew up watching him. and I pretty much have nothing critical to say about him.