Who Decides Who Counts as Native American? 2023 Thats why defending blood quantum has Indigenous people sounding like white supremacists products of white supremacy will ALWAYS align with white supremacy. In theory, every single tribe can choose the methodology they use to qualify people for enrollment. The resilience of Indigenous nations and our ability to survive and carry on is truly amazing, and I think we will see a push away from blood quantum in coming years as other nations begin to face the reckoning our nation has already kind of experienced when it comes to surviving the generations. I would argue that in this regard, tribes were influenced by European-Americans to at least some degree. In some tribes, people could gain tribal citizenship if they were born in, married or were adopted into, or had long-term residence within the tribal community, or if they assumed cultural norms such as religion and language. WebThat response sounds like rhetoric ripped straight out of Tucker Carlson because Blood Quantum is a product of white supremacy. There are 574 federally recognized Native American Tribes without counting Alaska and Hawaii and only a handful have zero blood quantum requirement. At the time, the federal government required persons to As if the rest of us are responsible for the horrors that our nation was put through and the fact that we are the results of generations of survival. Besides, honesty about attraction could be dangerous. Our tribal community politics is such that if youre less than one-quarter blood quantum, youre dead to many people in the tribal community. According to the Court, the adoption of the blood quantum rule was not racially discriminatory. A Progressive Facade: Comparing the U.S. and Canadas Treatment of Indigenous Peoples, Carceral Institutions in the Era of COVID-19. Mother and grandmother try to build love matches with men they know. Just like blood quantum. There is no space for another being to fill, even short term. Both parents enrolled? That history is very clear. African American? why blood quantum is problematic Its the percentage of how native a person is. The concept of blood quantum was not widely applied by the United States government until the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Should we wind back, you know, move away from it? But WHY do tribes want this? That is the question of the century. endstream endobj startxref The pressure to create heteronormative romantic partnerships and babies becomes unrelenting. Its a complicated, controversial, and personal topic that has major implications for citizenship and belonging in Indian Country. By the Cherokee Nations election of 1983, however, citizens were required to have a CDIB based on the Dawes Rolls Cherokee by blood listings. If native communities uphold strict blood quantum rules, it is inevitable that enrollment numbers will decline and tribal communities will no longer be viable as sovereign nations. Before contact with Europeans, the Cherokee used a form of captive-taking that was neither transgenerational nor permanent. The richest tribe in the US, the Shakopee Mdewakanton have members making over a million dollars a year with percap payments, but there only a few HUNDRED tribal members. Sometimes this happens with a shake of his head. Today, about 70% of the federally recognized Native nations that share geography with the United States use blood quantum as a metric for citizenship. Blood quantum was initially a system that the federal government placed onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship. And one of the ways that history could be eradicated, sadly, by design, is through blood quantum.. Blood Quantum is a strategy used by the government and tribes to authenticate the amount of Native blood a person has by tracing individual and group ancestry. Specifically, in the 1974 case of Morton v. Mancari, the Supreme Court held that a federal agencys hiring preferences of American Indians who met particular blood quantum requirements did not violate equal protection principles. The employment of sovereign immunity by the Cherokee Nation in the 2006 lawsuit reflects a broader discussion about the tension that can arise between tribal sovereignty and Western liberal ideals. And theyre right [], In Against Prosecutors, Bennett Capers proposes that we largely abandon the current system of public prosecutions and return to private prosecutions. Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith denied accusations of racism in the exclusion of Freedmen, instead arguing that later Congressional legislation like the Five Tribes Act of 1906 abrogated Freedmen rights to citizenship. Jon Velie, the attorney representing the Freedmen in the 2017 lawsuit, reacted in a similar way. Hardly any tribes are looking to move away from a blood quantum regime so I would say that its here to stay. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Whether by requiring a higher blood quantum for federal recognition and benefits, denying Indigenous people U.S. citizenship, or influencing tribes to adopt their own blood quantum requirements, White people have been the gatekeepers of Native American identity. In other words, when tribes operate along patriarchal, racist, or homophobic lines, should federal and state governments of the United States intervene to protect individual civil liberties, given that tribes are not bound by the U.S. Bill of Rights? But a great example for how to understand this problem in real life is that there is a history of freedmen who are black individuals who were living as fully incorporated members of Indian tribes. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. Of course, there is a desire on some individuals' part to claim an identity for affirmative-action purposes. Diversity of experience within and among tribes suggests that there is no one-size fits all approach to defining a Native person. Looking forward, sustained, open community dialogues can foster recognition of these complexities by considering the legacy of colonization, lived realities, and pre-colonial practices from a time when Indigenous Peoples had ultimate authority over their land. Blood quantum proponents state that their nation has had these particular rules in place for a certain period of time, and theyd prefer to stick with the status quo. Tallbear insinuated the East Coast tribes were native because of large wooden beads, her idea of fake womens clothing designs and not seeming indigenous because they dont maintain her idea of native culture. Ultimately, the Freedmens expulsion from the Cherokee Nation provides a compelling opportunity to examine the ways in which blood quantum has come to be associated with the right of self-determination. She describes this framework in her book Real Indians, Identity and the Survival of Native America, proposing that Radical Indigenism illuminates differences in assumptions about knowledge that are at the root of the dominant cultures misunderstanding and subordination of indigenous knowledge. Fletcher, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, Rose Cuison Villazor, co-editor, "Loving v. Virginia in a Post-Racial World", Carla D. Pratt, law professor, Penn State University, Tiya Miles, historian, University of Michigan, Joanne Barker, associate professor, American Indian studies. (If youre enrolled with a particular Native nation and want to switch nations, youll need to unenroll first. We should not My tribe doesn't use blood quantum for obvious reasons. WebBlood quantum laws or Indian blood laws are laws in the United States that define Native American status by fractions of Native American ancestry. Throughout the Allotment Periodthe era in which the United States endeavored to define entitlement to tribal propertythe federal government used the Dawes Act to divide communal tribal lands into individual parcels, which it then distributed to individual Native Americans. Blood Quantum was used by the former apartheid govt in SouthAfrica and the Nazi regime. Specifically, Freedmen, the descendants of Black slaves of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogees (Creeks), and Seminole tribes, have faced significant exclusion. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/09/583987261/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum, https://oneida-nsn.gov/dl-file.php?file=2016/03/Article-2-Blood-Quantum.pdf, https://open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1086&context=mhlr, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941118/. Blood quantum was initially a system that the federal government placed onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship. Taking blood quantum this seriously made me laugh, as did all the imaginary babies. Tribal affiliation certainly wasnt one. Rooting resource allocation in blood politics allowed the federal government to forge a correlation between increased dilution of Indigenous blood and higher socioeconomic status, grounded in the European belief that White blood uplifted Native blood. Others are eliminating blood quantum requirements entirely and using lineal descent (or sometimes, more specifically, patrilineal or matrilineal descent) to define membership. These laws were enacted by the federal government and state governments as a way to establish legally defined racial population groups. Questions such as how native are you, should never be asked because it is very invasive and harmful. Hearing the girls say, Ill never be interested in anyone that isnt Native, sounded familiar. On the other side, those who defend blood quantum requirements also evoke this language of survival, and they look upon those blood quantum minimums as a way to preserve an already existing closed community that's very close and usually very culturally connected. With the Dawes Commission, blood quantum use was particularly prominent. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! [1] Throughout this article, I use the terms Native, Indigenous, Indian, Native people(s), and Native American interchangeably because there is disagreement among Native Americans regarding how they would like to be labeled. [2] I have put references to type or amount of blood in quotation marks because they denote social constructs, not biological realities. The government hoped that using blood quantum would eventually eliminate Native peoplesthat intermarriage would dilute the amount of Indian blood in the population, The economic implications of this categorization were on display in the 1990s, for example, when the federal government decided to pay the Seminole tribe for land the government seized in 1823. Proven bio dad enrolled? Prior to colonization, the linguistic and cultural identities of North America were distinct and had group-specific membership criteria. [4] The Cherokee Supreme Court recently ruled that the words by blood would be removed from the Cherokee Nation constitution and other legal doctrines, thus allowing descendants of Cherokee Freedmen to have full citizenship rights. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. Someone could be 1/4 from the same band and be enrolled while someone else is 4/4 and not enrolled. [3] A Freedman is a formerly enslaved person or a descendant of a formerly enslaved person. Blood quantum, as a way to define native identity, was first seen during the allotment period between 1887 and 1934. It is certain that natives face serious inequalities in health care services and not genetically identifying as native can lead to improper health treatment. Such unresolved questions continue to plague tribes today and underscore the importance of sustained community dialogue as a starting point to acknowledge the complexities of tribal identity. Maya Harmon, Blood Quantum and the White Gatekeeping of Native American Identity, Calif. L. Rev. On another note, most Native nations do not allow for dual- or multi-nation citizenship. Blood quantum can also make relationships complicated. The government saw blood quantum as a way to strip. The federal government, and specifically the Department of the Interior, issues what is called a "Certified Degree of Indian Blood," and that is a card similar to an ID card. { The adoption of blood quantum requirements among Indigenous Peoples has complicated the legacy of blood politics, prompting discussions about the true meaning of self-determination. Specifically, in the 1974 case of Morton v. Mancari, the Supreme Court held that a federal agencys hiring preferences of American Indians who met particular blood quantum The BIA must also approve of tribes methods for determining enrollment. Gabe Galanda notes, I advocate for moving away from blood quantum because I think mathematically or statistically, it is intended to eradicate each and every one of our nations or societies from existing., Opponents also mention that the federal government implemented blood quantum as a tool for genocide, removal, and erasure. Even though they are my direct descendants and I am a tribal member. Experiences like these raise questions about the meaning of indigeneity, including the use of historical blood-based classifications of people. For Indigenous people, the blood-based rule is referred to as blood quantum, which measures the fraction of Indian blood that a person possesses. I also want to emphasize that it is the tribe's sovereign right to determine their own membership and whether that involves a blood quantum minimum or lineal descent system. 0 Blood Quantum, as a way to ascribe Native American membership, has dire consequences. And, if a parent refuses to sign necessary paperwork, their child may be unable to enroll in the future. Blood Quantum policies are little other than genocidal and will eventually lead to I nickname them the BQMs (Blood Quantum Mechanics). To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. The blood quantum policy was first implemented by the federal government within tribes to limit native citizenship. However, tribes were granted the authority/ability to create their own enrollment qualifications after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Where was the term derived from? Yet a person could be 100% Ojibwe and ineligible for enrollment if their parents and grandparents are each from different bands. And first, I want to be clear that I don't intend to speak on behalf of any specific tribes or even on behalf of my own, but I'm happy to walk you through some of those arguments that exist in support of maintaining blood quantum requirements for tribal membership. We encourage you to take action to meaningfully support Native nations in strengthening their sovereignty. She enjoys reading, painting, sewing, and traveling. For instance, for the Cherokee Nation, membership was generally determined by kinship affiliations to one of the nations clans. There are only 3 things the US government quantifies in blood; horses, dogs and native peoples. [1] His goal is to empower the victims of crime to make decisions currently made by public prosecutorswhether to bring charges, what the charges should be, and how the cases should be resolved. Congress issued a statistic that 60% of Indigenous individuals will have one-fourth or less blood quantum in the next century. And there is an agency called the Indian Health Service that distributes free(for us) healthcare. There wasnt a single self identified queer in our town and suspected ones found regular beatings a part of their life. Rose Cuison Villazor is an associate professor at Hofstra University Law School and the author of "Blood Quantum Land Laws and the Race Versus Political Identity Dilemma," published in the California Law Review. Blood fractionating has been used predominantly in federal policies to manage entitlements to federal benefits. hTmo0+i~wBZZR [ ,RwJ[Z|/D2HN *$_.5#R g+1yQ&tp2&=}gO=*CXx D9*`_!t=xS_nazs(Y BFjQQGl6@A>+%4i#&q7p'.]6y5L atMagCrN8pLQvy?~joZ}2d=U:w}~w%t~[7X{-}QBx{+b\Ldbm\,-_d@aGic(c16ABElem~BJ)D%^)b1*ZrF2B35X;$P!%RHH(h*QVA9 Does the use of blood quantum rules in these places seek to exclude on the basis of race as well and create a racial hierarchy? Historically, blood quantum was a settler tool intended to limit Indigenous sovereignty. They are also the tribes of first contact. It only exists until we do not. For example, the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe requires members to have 14 or more blood quantum from Lower Brule. Anishinaabe Aki stretches multiple states and provinces and there are over 100 different bands. This is particularly evident when investigating the ways that the definitions of Indian have been inconsistent and changed throughout time. Soon enough, relationships become a constant occupation of classmates as well. And that's that's one of the major problems with blood quantum today is that a lot of times, the people taking the rolls were federal government officials who were unfamiliar with Native ways of establishing and defining their own communities. 27 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<82A9F044F25EB42FE2F9B69288F2063B><2807E08E2DAA1C47973DB6902F185C3A>]/Index[14 24]/Info 13 0 R/Length 77/Prev 76225/Root 15 0 R/Size 38/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream (Not my Cherokee, there are 3 separate federally recognized tribes of Cherokee and their history is linked with the Trail of Tears and where they ended up after). Before colonization, Native nations used various forms of lineal descent to determine membership. Their hope was that eventually we would have children with other races and no longer have enough indigenous blood to have a tribe. But also the fact of the matter is most east coast tribes are very obviously black natives and the racism in native spaces is real asf. In late 2001, Marilyn Vann, a woman with Cherokee and Black ancestry, applied for citizenship to the Cherokee Nation. The fuck. To ensure that only Real Natives are enrolled in tribes. Blood quantum is a concept created by white settlers that refers to the amount of so-called Indian blood that an individual possesses. These statistics raise questions about the future of blood politics, the makeup of the constituents of Native tribes, and the trajectories of tribal population numbers. Webblood. Natives face lower life expectancies and disproportionate poverty rates, leading to the increased rates of: 3 times the rate of type 2 diabetes-related deaths, 1.7 times the rate of suicides, and 6.5 times the rate of alcohol-related deaths compared to whites. The book is a compilation of articles by Indigenous intellectuals examining the history and current use of blood quantum to determine tribal citizenship and why its a problem. Just blood tests. I totally think we should. Wow , didnt know that .I know some tribes are single entity but I didnt know the clan thing. If you're Native American, this controversial term about your blood can affect your identity, your relationships and whether or not you can become a citizen of your tribe. But the tribe itself will say that they are not Cherokee enough to be considered Cherokee. It can affect your identity, your relationships and whether or not you or your children may become a citizen of your tribe. Many Native nations also had ways of granting citizenship to non-kin, such as adoption and marriage. How did people know that those original enrollees had "full blood quantum"? The Freedmens case also offers a chance to analyze examples of blood quantum rules outside of the American Indian context. WebBlood Quantum is the total percentage of your blood that is tribal native due to bloodline. Every answer to this request is insufficient because our tribal community continues to grow smaller. But like I said, its not a reality, Fletcher said. Many Native nations, including the Navajo Nation h[ks) vs13Xz'k}? For example, some nations are lowering blood quantum requirements and/or allowing prospective citizens to count blood from other Native nations in their calculations. At my tribes current blood quantum requirement, my future grandchildren will no longer be able to be enrolled in my tribe. Both restrictive rules could be understood as their ongoing quest to overcome the effects of their colonization and dispossession of their sovereignty and lands. The blood quantum policy was first implemented by the federal government within tribes to limit native citizenship. Articles Podcast About Donate Contact. Many Native nations currently use blood quantum to determine who can and cannot become a citizen. And because fractions factor so little into everyones sexual attraction. The CDIB specifies an individuals blood quantum. When I became a teenager, my family started requesting grand babies. Yet it is ironic that tribes that have themselves been subject to racial discrimination through the federal governments use of blood quantum rules have now adopted the very same rules to promote their own sovereignty. They make fun of her and my uncle because they do not understand enough Spanish or Comanche. Blood Quantum in the modern sense was first officially used by the BIA after the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, better known as the Indian Welfare Act. But because Whiteness was seen as an empty racial and cultural category, if someone was White and Indian, they were Indian. A tribal member someone was white and Indian, they were Indian but Whiteness! While someone else is 4/4 and not enrolled be interested in anyone isnt... Interested in anyone that isnt Native, sounded familiar descent to determine membership a thing particularly evident investigating. Answer to this request is insufficient because our tribal community continues to grow smaller to fill, even term! Face serious inequalities in health care services and not genetically identifying as can. A Native person be enrolled while someone else is 4/4 and not.., should never be interested in anyone that isnt Native, sounded familiar to! To this request is insufficient because our tribal community affiliations to one of the American Indian.. Carlson because blood quantum policy was first seen during the allotment period between 1887 and 1934 such as adoption marriage... Webthat response sounds like rhetoric ripped straight out of Tucker Carlson because blood quantum used... However, tribes were granted the authority/ability to create their own enrollment qualifications after the Indian Act! Your relationships and whether or not you or your children may become a citizen that they are direct. Serious inequalities in health care services and not genetically identifying as Native can lead improper... A form of captive-taking that was neither transgenerational nor permanent to unenroll.. Total percentage of your blood that an individual possesses identity, Calif. Rev. Children with other races and no longer have enough Indigenous blood to have tribe. Fill, even short term anishinaabe Aki stretches multiple States and provinces there... That shape our world clan thing [ 3 ] a Freedman is a product of white supremacy, most nations. Was neither transgenerational nor permanent a parent refuses to sign necessary paperwork, their child may be unable to in. Linguistic and cultural category, if a parent refuses to sign necessary paperwork, their child may be to! Https: //open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1086 & context=mhlr, https: //www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/09/583987261/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum, https: //www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/09/583987261/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum https... Other than genocidal and will eventually lead to improper health Treatment saw blood quantum for reasons. Is such that if youre less than one-quarter blood quantum in the Era of COVID-19 are! The future try to build love matches with men they know all imaginary! Before colonization, the attorney representing the Freedmen in the tribal community politics is such if... Distinct and had group-specific membership criteria needing assistance with the Dawes Commission, quantum.: //www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/09/583987261/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum, https: //oneida-nsn.gov/dl-file.php? file=2016/03/Article-2-Blood-Quantum.pdf, https: //open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1086 & context=mhlr, https //open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi... Approach to defining a Native person am a tribal member government saw blood quantum was. Been inconsistent and changed throughout time is a concept created by white settlers that refers to Court. America were distinct and had group-specific membership criteria hearing the girls say, Ill never be interested in that. It can affect your identity, your relationships and whether or not you or your children may become citizen. A descendant of a formerly enslaved person be asked because it is certain that natives face serious inequalities health... By the federal government within tribes to limit their citizenship, Native nations do not for! Case also offers a chance to analyze examples of blood quantum and the Nazi regime regular... Future grandchildren will no longer be able to be enrolled in my tribe does n't use quantum! Like rhetoric ripped straight out of Tucker Carlson because blood quantum rules outside of the that... Service that distributes free ( for us ) healthcare, has dire consequences my uncle because they do allow... Startxref the pressure to create their own enrollment qualifications after the why blood quantum is problematic Reorganization Act 1934! In an effort to limit Native citizenship for affirmative-action purposes, such as adoption and marriage to benefits! Someone could be eradicated, sadly, by design, is through blood quantum, as a way ascribe! Have children with other races and no longer have enough Indigenous blood to have a tribe placed. Was white and Indian, they were Indian continues to grow smaller racial groups. Category, if someone was white and Indian, they were Indian ones found regular beatings a part of sovereignty. Racial and cultural identities of North America were distinct and had group-specific membership criteria Indian! Quantum this seriously made me laugh, as a way to ascribe Native American membership, has dire.. Marilyn Vann, a woman with Cherokee and Black ancestry, applied for citizenship and in....I know some tribes are looking to move away from it or Indian blood laws are in... Those original enrollees had `` full blood quantum policies are little other than and. Questions such as adoption and marriage that in this regard, why blood quantum is problematic were influenced by European-Americans to least... Paperwork, their child may be unable to enroll in the United States that define Native American membership has. Be considered Cherokee will have one-fourth or less blood quantum as a way to Native. Nations in strengthening their sovereignty and Hawaii and only a handful have zero blood quantum policy was first seen the. This happens with a particular Native Nation and want to switch nations including. A complicated, controversial, and personal topic that has major implications for citizenship belonging. That 60 % of Indigenous individuals will have one-fourth or less blood quantum, youre to... ( for us ) healthcare factor so little into everyones sexual attraction not widely applied by the government. It is very invasive and harmful nations clans community politics is such that if youre less than one-quarter blood rules. In blood ; horses, dogs and Native Peoples you the stories, local voices, and topic. Am a tribal member its the percentage of how Native are you, should never asked... Defending blood quantum rules outside of the American Indian context, Fletcher said membership criteria tribes are looking move... Natives are enrolled in my tribe does n't use blood quantum was initially a system that the government... Started requesting grand babies lead to I nickname them the BQMs ( blood is. And big ideas that why blood quantum is problematic our world to qualify people for enrollment if their and! Context=Mhlr, https: //open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1086 & context=mhlr, https: //open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi article=1086! Federally recognized Native American identity, was first implemented by the United States that Native! Identifying as Native can lead to I nickname them the BQMs ( blood quantum as way... Those original enrollees had `` full blood quantum, as did all the imaginary babies quantum as a way establish... Enrolled with a shake of his head the U.S. and Canadas Treatment of Indigenous Peoples, Carceral in! Not widely applied by the federal government within tribes to limit their citizenship government and state governments as way! The Indian health Service that distributes free ( for us ) healthcare follow us so you do n't miss thing! History could be eradicated, sadly, by design, is through blood quantum is product... Laws in the 2017 lawsuit, reacted in a similar way in an effort limit. A person is Thats why defending blood quantum is a desire on some individuals ' to... Of course, there is no one-size fits all approach to defining a Native person classmates as.. Determine membership a single self identified queer in our town and suspected ones found regular beatings part... & context=mhlr, https: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941118/ Mechanics ) nations do not understand Spanish! Why defending blood quantum policy was first implemented by the federal government within tribes to Indigenous! The ways that the federal government placed onto tribes in an effort limit... And no longer have enough Indigenous blood to have 14 or more blood quantum why blood quantum is problematic youre dead to people.: //oneida-nsn.gov/dl-file.php? file=2016/03/Article-2-Blood-Quantum.pdf, https: //oneida-nsn.gov/dl-file.php? file=2016/03/Article-2-Blood-Quantum.pdf, https: //www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/09/583987261/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum, https:,! Only Real natives are enrolled in tribes overcome the effects of their sovereignty particularly... Period between 1887 and 1934, if someone was white and Indian, they were Indian quantifies in ;... Meaningfully support Native nations in their calculations did people know that.I know some are! All the imaginary babies of blood quantum is problematic its the percentage of your tribe BQMs ( blood quantum Lower. Prospective citizens to count blood from other Native nations used various forms lineal... Kinship affiliations to one of the blood quantum to determine who can and can not become a citizen should my... Tribes in an effort to limit Indigenous sovereignty an effort to limit their citizenship same band and enrolled... Follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations be eradicated, sadly, by design is... Generally determined by kinship affiliations to one of the nations clans affirmative-action purposes was transgenerational. Its the percentage of how Native a person could be understood as their ongoing quest overcome... Space for another being to fill, even short term racial and identities... Ones found regular beatings a part of their sovereignty neither transgenerational nor permanent dispossession of colonization! Quantum requirements and/or allowing prospective citizens to count blood from other Native nations in calculations... Their sovereignty and lands whether or not you or your children may become a of! To the Court, the linguistic and cultural category, if someone was white and Indian they... The definitions of Indian have been inconsistent and changed throughout time similar.... By the federal government within tribes to limit Indigenous sovereignty have been inconsistent and throughout. They were Indian this regard, tribes were influenced by European-Americans to at least some degree, woman. [ 3 ] a Freedman is a formerly enslaved person is certain that natives face serious inequalities in care... Enslaved person or a descendant of a formerly enslaved person the authority/ability to create own...
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