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FANA Chief Lovell Steps forward to clarify What is FANA and Why is it Sovereignty? [1]
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Date: 2025-09-15
One of the most frustrating challenges that arises from politicians and individuals who claim to know the answer to their question:" What is the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA)?" is the fact that they do not know the answer. This often leads to the need for constant explanations.
Additionally, people struggle to grasp what FANA is doing because the Federation's actions have not been seen in modern history.
Even when FANA's mission is explained, many individuals find it difficult to comprehend it. What FANA is doing falls far outside the traditional narrative associated with Indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, many still hold onto outdated stereotypes, envisioning Indigenous people as primitive or uneducated. As a result, no matter how FANA is described, it can be challenging for people to think beyond this narrow framework.
It is hard for them to believe that an Indigenous Federation could create a detailed constitution, educate tribal members to become lawyers, enter into treaties with foreign entities, gain recognition from the United Nations, establish embassies abroad, create a judicial system, and receive global acknowledgment from other recognized nations.
Occasionally, one of the Federation's Chiefs steps forward to clarify a situation. Below is a response from FANA Tribal Member, Principal Chief Lovell Pierce Moore of the Cape Fear Band of Skarure Woccon Indians of North Carolina. He wrote this response after an interaction with a politician, aiming to explain what FANA is and what it accomplishes.
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Written by Principal Chief Lovell Pierce Moore
Intro / Synopsis
This rebuttal was written to correct misinformation and misrepresentation about the sovereignty of the Cape Fear Band of Skarure Woccon Indians and the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA). It addresses claims that questioned our legitimacy, denied our treaties, downplayed women in leadership, and dismissed our unity as "just another organization."
Rather than arguing or attacking, this statement clarifies the truth: sovereignty is inherent, pre-existing, and lived. FANA and its member Nations are not seeking permission from colonial systems, we are exercising responsibility to our ancestors, to our youth, and to the Earth.
This document is both a correction and a teaching tool, showing that FANA is sovereignty in motion: building treaties, practicing consensus, honoring women's leadership, and walking in protocols older than any colonial government. It stands as a reminder that Indigenous Nations do not need outside validation to exist … we have always been sovereign, and we remain sovereign today.
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Correction & Rebuttal
This post is not intended to debate, argue or instigate. Hopefully for others with questions, this will help. There's no name dropping or name calling and this is only intended to correct a few things said in error...
Respectfully, the framing you've offered misrepresents both what sovereignty is and how FANA actually operates. Sovereignty is not something "granted" by settler governments, nor is it confined to UN checkboxes.
Triggering claim: Some critics said that FANA's sovereignty is "not real" or "unrecognized" because it lacks federal or state status or UN mandates.
Sovereignty is inherent, pre-existing, and lived. The nations within FANA were sovereign long before the U.S., Canada, or the UN existed, and we continue to exercise that sovereignty in ways appropriate to our own traditions and protocols.
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On International Relations
Triggering claim: It was asserted that FANA has "no treaties" or international agreements, implying its diplomacy is only symbolic.
It is incorrect to say FANA has no treaties with outside governments. The record is plain to see: FANA member nations have entered into international treaties and agreements with sovereigns abroad. These are published and transparent for anyone to review. They demonstrate not "asserted sovereignty" but exercised sovereignty, nations making decisions for themselves, entering relations with equals
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On Consensus and Structure
Triggering claim: Some said FANA does not operate by consensus and instead mimics colonial structures.
It is also false to say FANA does not operate on consensus. FANA Nations convene in circles, in council, and through protocols rooted in Indigenous governance. The Federation's charter and agreements are collective, not imposed. Yes, we strategically engage international law and trust frameworks, but those are tools. The circle remains at the center.
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On Recognition
Triggering claim: Critics suggested that unless a Nation has state or federal recognition, it cannot be sovereign.
Rocognition by colonial governmenrt is not the yardstick for socereignty. Our nations define ourselves, and govern ourselves. The fact that we choose to engage internationally and build frameworks outside of colonial gatekeeping is proof of our sovereignty, not a weakness. To suggest otherwise is to repeat the same colonial logic we are resisting.
On Women in Leadership
Triggering claim: There were claims that women hold no high-level roles in FANA, reduced to "secretarial" positions.
The claim that women are not in high leadership roles within FANA is untrue. FANA has women chiefs, clan mothers, and principal leaders in positions of authority, well beyond "secretarial" or token roles. This is consistent with Indigenous governance, where women are not only included but often hold the authority to appoint, check, or remove leaders.
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On Purpose and Practice
Triggering claim: Some tried to reduce FANA as "just another organization," suggesting it lacks substance.
To call FANA "just another organization" diminishes the lived work: exercising treaty-making power, organizing globally, supporting landback strategies, and creating protective frameworks for future generations. It is not reactionary to gatekeeping; it is an Indigenous-led, proactiverldwide confederation of Nations standing together.
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On Respect and Reciprocity
We will never impose, preach, or launch recruitment drives. We will never insist, try to persuade, or push anyone to become a part of FANA. We respect all Nations, federal, state, and unrecognized, their right to self-determination, their right to choose their own path, and their right to exist as they see fit.
However, reciprocation keeps balance, deters enmity, and allows us to build together and tackle the many issues that affect us all. This is said in love, not hate or anger and respect and honor.
In short: FANA is not "pretending" to be sovereign. It is sovereignty in motion. It is nations doing the work, building international relations, creating protective structures, and walking in the inherent sovereignty that has always existed. Settler governments don't get the final word on that, and critics should be careful not to echo the very structures they claim to oppose.
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Expanded Addition
To expand further: sovereignty is not just a word we speak, it is a way of life. It is carried in our ceremonies, in our languages, in the planting of seeds, in the carrying of ancestral responsibilities, and in the raising of our children with protocols older than any border or colonial statute. It cannot be erased by paperwork or denied by governments who only exist through imposed law.
FANA is a living embodiment of that truth. Each Nation within the Federation stands rooted in its own ways, yet we choose to walk together, not because anyone compels us, but because unity multiplies strength. In times when division is constantly pushed upon Indigenous peoples, FANA proves that we can move in circle, not in hierarchy, building bonds of trust, respect, and shared purpose.
We are not seeking permission ... we are exercising responsibility. Responsibility to our ancestors, who endured so that we may live; responsibility to our youth, so they inherit more than struggle; and responsibility to the Earth herself, who calls us to act in balance.
Our sovereignty is not future tense. It is not conditional. It is here, alive, and in motion.
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Clarifications on FANA's Status and Operations
Does FANA have UN ECOSOC status?
Yes. On February 13, 2023, the United Nations appointed Principal Chief Dr. Holloway as FANA's Ambassador and granted him permanent NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) credentials. He was also issued the ECOSOC badge, which represents the highest recognition that can be conferred upon a non-state individual or body within the UN system. His role is multi-faceted, assisting Indigenous Nations and Tribes in securing aid and support through UN frameworks.
🔗 UN Appointment of Principal Chief Holloway
Is FANA a sovereign nation?
FANA Member Nations are not federally recognized, nor are they seeking federal recognition. Instead, they stand upon their pre-colonial American Indian tribal status, which is international, aboriginal, and not subject to validation by foreign governments. This status exists within an aboriginal jurisdiction outside of U.S. authority and is protected under Article III and treaty rights of the U.S. Constitution.
🔗 FANA's Status and Standing
Unfortunately, most state and federally contracted (recognized) tribes are very confused about what level of sovereignty they were granted. Within the contracts signed by their leaders, in trusteeship with the state or federal government, they were awarded a "Domestic Dependent Nation" status through a trust agreement set up for them by the granting entity with superior jurisdiction over their trust or recognition agreement. I urge any tribe to research the true legal definition of "Domestic."
Does FANA have treaties with other Nations?
Yes. FANA maintains multiple treaties and cooperative agreements across the world. Two significant examples:
Métis Nation of Canada – One of Canada's three constitutionally recognized Indigenous peoples, numbering over 600,000. FANA and the Métis Nation signed a Peace Treaty in February 2025, with pathways toward full recognition and deeper collaboration.
🔗 FANA–Métis Nation Alliance
2. The State of the African Diaspora (SOAD)- Recognized by the Pan-African Parliament of the African Union as a full State with its own constitution and governance (2014). FANA and SOAD signed a cooperation agreement on July21, 2023, and have continued to build on this alliance with further agreements.
The State of African Diaspora (SOAD) represents far more than just another organization. It is a living symbol of resistance, unity, and reclamation. SOAD became a State with a constitution, laws, and government in 2014. The African Union consists of 55 sovereign member states representing all the countries on the continent. AU Member States are divided into five geographic regions, defined in 1976 (CM/Res.464QCXVI).
These treaties demonstrate exercised sovereignty: Nations relating to Nations.
Does FANA operate as a "Settler Colonial" legal system?
No. FANA's governance is rooted in Indigenous circle-based consensus and cultural protocol. The established branches include:
FANA ICS FANA Atusko Chiefs Council FANA Nimuog (Congress)
In addition, FANA is actively developing a Matriarch's Council and a Culture Keepers Council, both already in active dialogue. These additions embody Indigenous governance traditions where women and cultural leaders are central. If fully ratified, this structure would represent one of the most comprehensive Indigenous governing models in practice today.
Closing
This Q&A is shared not to antagonize or disrespect, but to clarify, correct, and prevent confusion. FANA is not "trying" to be sovereign, FANA is sovereignty: ancestral, living, and in motion. The work speaks for itself.
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