 Aboriginal title remained a central political and economic issue and was listed as one of the enumerated grievances in the Declaration of Independence . Regardless , colonial land law relating to indigenous peoples became the foundation for aboriginal title in the United States during the Articles of Confederation @-@ era and after the ratification of the United States Constitution . The colonial @-@ law prohibition was codified at the federal level by the Confederation Congress Proclamation of 1783 and the Nonintercourse Acts of 1790 , 1793 , 1796 , 1799 , 1802 , and 1834 . 
