For educators to more fully comprehend the issues surrounding the current state of affairs regarding tribal consultation and sovereignty in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) education, it is necessary to provide a socio-historical context. This brief provides information on the evolution of Native education, from its precolonial roots to present day, and how it has shifted in control away from tribal governments to the federal government and state governments and, most recently, toward a tri-lateral responsibility model. The National Comprehensive Center's American Indian and Alaska Native Education Project developed this brief to positively impact the learning lives of Native children and youth. It is meant to enhance the effectiveness of state education agencies' work on Native education. It is one of six briefs based on thematic categories from interviews with a panel of experts in the field of American Indian and Alaska Native education to help determine current needs and interests in the field. The six categories included: (1) Native culture and language; (2) College and career readiness and access; (3) Tribal consultation and sovereignty; (4) Physical and behavioral health; (5) Teachers and leaders; and (6) Promising programs and practices.