This is something we all know: The United States has a pretty poor track record in relations with indigenous nations. Even the most mainstream history books will give you a sense of this.

What the history books often fail to teach, however, is that we are still here, and have a diversity of diplomatic relations with the United States of America. Many of our nations still have valid treaties with the United States, and are still sovereign. It’s a lesson we have to teach U.S. officials over and over, and usually comes as something of a surprise.

Democrats and Republicans both included consideration for Indian Country in their political platforms this year. The Democrats’ platform improved from a mere two paragraphs on “Tribal Sovereignty” in their 2012 platform to a full two pages on “Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations” in 2016, perhaps not to be outdone by the one page in the Republican platform on “Honoring our Relationship with American Indians.”

While the Democrats got slightly closer to the reality of sovereignty in their language, both parties rely on the assumption that all indigenous nations are somehow part of the American political system. Some are due to forced assimilation.

We — the Haudenosaunee, known in history books as the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora nations — are not.