NYT story of Long Island Native American tribe that successfully got recognized, after long battle, as the newest member of America's 500-plus collection of embedded independent nations.
Usual story nowadays: prime motivation is ability to build and operate a gambling casino.
What an American story!
But the dynamic is not that different when globalization births new nations: they too want a better deal with the larger economy and see independence as crucial to winning that.
So, in essence, a perfect American tale in a globalized age.