While Native Americans collectively fall among the most socioeconomically marginalized groups in American society, disparities in resources and wealth among different tribes are more substantial than often assumed, and a complex array of structural and cultural factors go into accounting for these. In order to get a sense of Native American discourses and consider them in light of their historical contexts in navigating issues of self-determination in a broader capitalist society, I conduct a qualitative analysis of an array of tribal newspapers. To a large degree, these discourses show how tribes differ in their connections to the broader capitalist economy and society. I use three major theoretical ideas to sensitize and inform the analysis: Burns and LeMoyne’s concept of “prioritizing summary symbols,” Gramsci’s theory of “hegemony,” and Foucault’s notion of “problematization.” I find evidence that differences in discursive approaches to Native American problematizations and summary symbols such as “traditional” indigenous culture versus “western” capitalism, self-determination, sovereignty, and tribal economic development, reflect differences in power and privilege among tribes. Seen in a comparative and historical context, my work can help to inform how language and culture are situated in broader hegemonic struggles.