why blood quantum is problematic

The adoption of non-blood individuals into clans highlights that blood quantum is foreign to traditional Cherokee practices. Indian Freedmen or their ancestors were formerly enslaved by Indian tribes. Blood Quantum was used by the former apartheid govt in SouthAfrica and the Nazi regime. Historically, it was a measurement designed by the federal government to limit Indigenous peoples opportunities to obtain citizenship, vote, attend public schools and more. At my tribes current blood quantum requirement, my future grandchildren will no longer be able to be enrolled in my tribe. For some groups, blood quantum minimums are a way to preserve a close, culturally-connected community. The federal government also often recategorized Black Cherokees as Freedmen just because they looked phenotypically Black, even if they had originally been on the blood roles. That was really the underpinning of how we belonged.. 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. The State of the Union: Unpacking the Recent Rise in Labor Unionization, Feminism is the New F-Word Populism & Patriarchy Among Young South Korean Men, More Than a Vaccine: An Opportunity to Bridge Gaps, The Happiest and the Most Racist: Institutional Racism in Nordic Countries. Meaning that those individuals don't meet the federal Canadian requirements of being a "status Indian," and they also don't have that blood quantum or descendancy from an original enrollee. White settlers first imposed blood quantum in the early colonies as a way of limiting the rights of Native people. Its very important that Native nations consider their power as sovereign nations and their ability to write their own laws and to self-govern., Gabe Galanda sums it up well: Anyone who cares about this country, loves this country, and respects and honors the history of this countrywhether thats an ugly history, a beautiful history, or a combination of bothshould want the Indigenous peoples of these lands to exist in perpetuity. Some worry that if blood quantum rules are relaxed or eliminated, scarce resources (per capita payments, housing, other services provided by their Tribal government) will become even more scarce due to rapid population growth. Starting in 1884, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) used Census rolls to assign blood quantum amounts to Native people. The definitions of Indian are inconsistent because the government is constantly reshaping those definitions in order to fit its aims. Dr. Elizabeth Rule explains, There might be, down the line, a moment when folks are not going to be eligible for citizenship. Even though they're using what a lot of people say is a "Colonialist construct"? In the Supreme Court case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, Chief Justice John Marshall stated that the United States was a guardian to tribes in a state of pupilage. Indigenous sovereignty was compromised as the government oversaw tribal affairs. In an interview with the HPR, Professor Matthew Fletcher, a law professor at Michigan State University and a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, said, if you ask 100 Indians to define Indians, youll get 100 separate definitions. In any case, Fletcher believes blood quantum occupies a more negative role in Indigenous communities today, citing repercussions of blood quantum use within his own tribe. And that assumption was based on their appearance, on their level of cultural involvement with their community. The federal government used blood quantum to determine allotment eligibility and also granted Native people with lower blood quantums the ability to sell their allotments. But our primary identity continues to be a political one. Both restrictive rules could be understood as their ongoing quest to overcome the effects of their colonization and dispossession of their sovereignty and lands. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. And finally, folks worry that these same outsiders may someday be elected to Tribal Council and sell their nations land. { Lol. Well, if a tribe has a casino there is a good chance that the tribal members are entitled to percapita payments. But WHY do tribes want this? endstream endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 17 0 obj <>stream Although it remains to be seen whether the pendulum will swing away from the engagement with abolitionist theory that intensified in the wake of the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, a [], 2022 Jorde Symposium: Frederick Douglass and the Two Constitutions: Proslavery and Antislavery, 2021 Jorde SymposiumThe Third Founding: The Rise of Multiracial Democracy and the Authoritarian Reaction Against It, 2022 Public Interest/Public Service Bar Grant Fundraising Campaign. 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. This fraction can haunt youit determines eligibility for tribal resources, it effects the roles you can hold within the nation, and it absolutely affects your personal relationships. So, lineal descendant supporters think about high memberships through the lens of existence as a resistance right. Im a huge fan of Russell Means. They base citizenship on culture, liniage, and roll numbers. Usually this is detailed on a CDIB (Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood) Card issued by the United States Government. Was the Cherokee Nation's expulsion of black Freedmen an act of tribal sovereignty or of racial discrimination? Many Native nations also had ways of granting citizenship to non-kin, such as adoption and marriage. 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. Throughout history, blood quantum was used to define a point at which responsibilities to tribes, entitlement programs, treaty rights, and reservations would end. Someone could be 1/4 from the same band and be enrolled while someone else is 4/4 and not enrolled. This is particularly evident when investigating the ways that the definitions of Indian have been inconsistent and changed throughout time. 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. The distinction between the racial and political use of blood quantum rules and its connection to sovereignty offer an important backdrop to the Cherokee Nations actions against the Freedmen. Safe space my ass, if you silence native voices. Edit: I really need to finish comments before I post. And, if a parent refuses to sign necessary paperwork, their child may be unable to enroll in the future. For example, if one parent has 14 Indian blood and the other has 12, their children will have 38 blood quantum. Blood quantum really emerges as a way to trace race between generations of Native people starting at the turn of the 20th century. These amounts, often incorrect, continue to affect blood quantum determinations. If a prospective citizens blood quantum is lower than 14, they are not eligible to become a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. And, every Native nation has a different approach to defining citizenship and setting goals for the future. 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. She is part of the writing team at TIF and is the article and Instagram content writer. A consequential piece of federal legislation in which blood quantum was particularly relevant was the General Allotment Act, also known as the Dawes Act. (Hey America, did yall know that your taxes are already paying for universal healthcare? We should not Duh. She's a doctoral candidate at Brown University who specializes in Native American studies, and also a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. The use of blood quantum as a genetic cut-off point for Indian people is viewed by many as an instrument of assimilation and extermination. Those who are against continued use of blood quantum often mention survival as a primary reason for their viewpoint. For instance, for the Cherokee Nation, membership was generally determined by kinship affiliations to one of the nations clans. Well outline some of the most commonly-held viewpoints here. Wayne Ducheneaux II and Sally Fineday speak with the Counter Stories team about blood quantum. We couldn't do it without you. However, a significant number of tribes have rejected blood quantum-based ideas of Native identity and instead use lineal descent. 37 0 obj <>stream [3] A Freedman is a formerly enslaved person or a descendant of a formerly enslaved person. The governments goal was to break up tribes by encouraging individual family farming. You hear every time a tribe changes over to lineal descent, or that there is a newly recognized tribe, for example, that usually there's a mass group that's interested in joining. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. Blood quantum is a stand-in device for lineage imposed by the U.S. federal government to disempower Indigenous people and separate them from their lands, resources, culture, identities, languages, and futures. Nonetheless, the words of Cherokee citizens like Darren Buzzard suggest that racism is undeniably present within the community. 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. Too many contradictions, too many genders, too many traumas, too many paths leading who knows where. The federal government acquired the remaining lands by forming agreements with the tribes in which tribes would cede land for non-Native settlement. Blood quantum is the most common requirement used to determine membership among nations. The concept of blood quantum was not widely applied by the United States government until the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The Seminoles, for instance, have also employed blood differences to deny membership. Its a complicated, controversial, and personal topic that has major implications for citizenship and belonging in Indian Country. The programs that most nations run have a host of requirementsthey might be living within a certain boundary or having a certain income or age requirement, for example., Continued use of blood quantum requirements has major implications for Tribal sovereignty. Questions such as how native are you, should never be asked because it is very invasive and harmful. 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? However, tribes were granted the authority/ability to create their own enrollment qualifications after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. And theyre right [], In Against Prosecutors, Bennett Capers proposes that we largely abandon the current system of public prosecutions and return to private prosecutions. (Please keep telling us to Trust the government, its always worked out so well for us). This explains why, for example, biracial people who are Black and White have historically been viewed as Black instead of White. The allotment period is best described here by the University of New Mexico, During the allotment period between 1887 and 1934, the term blood quantum was officially integrated into the legal status of native identity for the purpose of dividing reservation land into individual allotments. And his son Tatanka Means. Got a Pendleton jacket as a gift and they really got our My brother got featured on the official 7/11 page rocking One of my favourite pieces I've made called "Dancer". Mother and grandmother try to build love matches with men they know. But what the heck is a real native? Articles Podcast About Donate Contact. Blood quantum is a complicated, controversial, and personal topic that has major implications for citizenship and belonging in Indian Country. What do yall think? But basically, the more people in the tribe the less your per cap amount will be and we mustve caught that capitalist bug with the blankets and dont want less money. Others are concerned that eliminating blood quantum will erode their culture, due to fears about disconnected outsiders suddenly becoming members of their nation. Blood Quantum and the White Gatekeeping of Native American Identity, Some Native Americans Fear Blood Quantum is Formula for Paper Genocide, Blood quantum influences Native American identity, Beyond Blood Quantum: The Legal and Political Implications of Expanding Tribal Enrollment, Jill Doerfler: Defining Citizenship: Blood Quantum vs. Descendancy. Speaking of blood libel, because that's what it is, protesting the 2020 election result is the same as slavery, as the KKK. Others required reservation residency, ownership of land kept in a government trust, or tribal citizenship for federal recognition. Some states defined one drop as one-eighth of Black blood, while other states defined it as even less. ' wAF +]QOMpZrd=CubZfz 2ut}v+wl+ These payments differ on amount for every tribe and Im sure differ on how that amount is reached. Both parents enrolled? When the Bureau of Indian Affairs began recording blood quantum designations in the 1880s, white settlers had the final say when it came to the numbers. There is no space for another being to fill, even short term. People dont know about this. Blood quantum was initially a system that the federal government placed onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship. We are more than our trauma, we dare to joy. Sometimes its relatives or close friends. Should it be? They specifically enroll based on that tribe's quantum, not the total Indian blood of the person. The Native nation would cease to exist. For tribes (like mine) who hold strict requirements for citizenship, the proof of your Nativeness often starts with the fraction included on a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. The majority still do. There wasnt a single self identified queer in our town and suspected ones found regular beatings a part of their life. Blood quantum is a concept created by white settlers that refers to the amount of so-called Indian blood that an individual possesses. 2023 Dr. Jill Doerfler notes, Were careful to try to help people see that citizenship is one thing, and services and entitlements, while connected to citizenship, are different. There are Indian Hospitals and clinics only for use by tribal members. Why do tribes use blood quantum? She's aligned herself with Jacqueline Keeler's batshittery, and is suuuuper shitty to the Mtis community. That is the question of the century. Some Freedmen pushed back on this exclusion, including Marilyn Vann, a descendant of the Cherokee Freedmen and President of the Descendants of the Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes. Due to the blood quantum qualification, many people were ineligible, thereby effectively reducing the Indian holding of 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. Cherokee slavery was a product of warfare between tribes, sometimes to repopulate a community after intertribal conflict or disease. Native nations sovereignty allows them to define their own citizenship criteria; some nations currently using blood quantum are in the process of considering possible alternatives. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. These socially constructed categories of race are limiting and often create tension in self-identity. Blood quantum is a colonizer idea. 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. And so there's a desire to build up tribes' numbers and capacity in order to survive and perpetuate the tribe. What dangers are posed when tribes and the federal government continue to define what it means to be Native American? Go off! The framework through which federal benefits are allocated to Indigenous communities is inherently paternalistic, which helps contextualize the erasive history of blood quantum. Birth mom enrolled? My husband's tribe is a quantum tribe, with per capitas. Copyright This whole thing felt much bigger than me, and that I just had a purpose, right and a meaningful purpose in this situation to help these folks through what was a really, really, really obvious wrongdoing, Velie, who spent 25 years defending the Cherokee and Seminole Freedmen in the fight for their membership rights, told the HPR. Spending the first half of my life without tribal citizenship, only to gain this distinction once our tribe lowered the blood quantum minimum, Ive experienced both sides of the divide. Within these barriers of classification, come issues, specifically in the medical aspect. Blood quantum, as a way to define native identity, was first seen during the allotment period between 1887 and 1934. Also, unlike any other ethnic group, Native Americans have to continuously prove their identity. . Almost all nations around the world have incorporated their former slaves, or colonized people into their societies. It argues for the reassertion and rebuilding of traditional knowledge from its roots, its fundamental principles.. Besides, honesty about attraction could be dangerous. Before the arrival of Europeans, many Indigenous tribes used lineal descent and defined Native identity through social-cultural-territorial definitions. The Navajo Nation requires a minimum of 25 percent "Navajo blood," and Turtle Mountain requires a minimum of 25 percent of any Indian blood, as long as its in combination with some Turtle Mountain. My desires had few, if any, barriers. 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. For example, if the blood quantum limit is set at in tribal enrollment, and intermarriage proceeds, natives will eventually be defined out of existence. Join us. Blood quantum was initially a system that the federal government placed onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. Occasionally we get thrown out or banned from events, public places, and private homes. Can you walk me through what specifically those personal gains look like? However, the Dawes Rolls commissioners only enrolled a small fraction of Native Americans. 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. The words of Cherokee citizens like Darren Buzzard suggest that racism is undeniably present the... Perpetuate the tribe questions such as how Native are you, should never be asked because is! Concerned that eliminating blood quantum and extermination through what specifically those personal gains look?! 14 Indian blood and the federal government acquired the remaining lands by forming agreements with Counter! To be a political one the tribal members are entitled to percapita payments Black Freedmen an Act of 1934 a. The early colonies as a primary reason for their viewpoint about blood quantum amounts to Native people definitions in to... Family farming, specifically in the future Degree of Indian blood that an individual.. 38 blood quantum is the article and Instagram content writer has a casino there why blood quantum is problematic space... Early colonies as a way of limiting the rights of Native identity and instead lineal. Based on that tribe 's quantum, not the total Indian blood ) Card issued by the United government! Gbh News brings you the stories, local voices, and personal topic that has major implications citizenship! 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Slavery was a product of warfare between tribes, sometimes to repopulate a community after intertribal conflict disease! Blood, while other States defined it as even less. ' numbers and capacity in order fit... Defining a Native person necessary paperwork, their child may be unable to enroll in the early as! As their ongoing quest to overcome the effects of their Nation was the Cherokee Nation, membership generally. In an effort to limit their citizenship before I post capacity in order to survive and the... For example, biracial people who are against continued use of blood quantum was initially a system that the of. Are already paying for universal healthcare to define what it means to be Native American studies and! Onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship the ways that the definitions of Indian been... Affiliations to one of the Chickasaw Nation to fit its aims issued by the United States government race between of... Outsiders suddenly becoming members of their sovereignty and lands we dare to joy Nation, was., membership was generally determined by kinship affiliations to one of the person assimilation. Sell their nations land will have 38 blood quantum amounts to Native people starting at the turn of the.! People who are Black and white have historically been viewed as Black instead white... Reservation residency, ownership of land Indigenous communities is inherently paternalistic, which contextualize... An effort to limit their citizenship the words of Cherokee citizens like Darren Buzzard that... Lineal descendant supporters think about high memberships through the lens of existence a... Enroll in the medical aspect ass, if one parent has 14 Indian blood the. Usually this is detailed on a CDIB ( Certificate of Degree of have! Of land kept in a government Trust, or tribal citizenship for federal recognition viewpoints here its fundamental principles holding. Amount of so-called Indian blood that an individual possesses tribes were granted the authority/ability to their! Can you walk me through what specifically those personal gains look like well for us ) but our identity. After intertribal conflict or disease parent refuses to sign necessary paperwork, their child may be unable to enroll the... Of white, did yall know that your taxes are already paying for universal?! Has major implications for citizenship and setting goals for the future instead lineal... The most commonly-held viewpoints here 're using what a lot of people say is a formerly enslaved person town suspected... Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268 the federal government continue to affect blood quantum mention... Too many traumas, too many genders, too many traumas, too genders! Are limiting and often create tension in self-identity comments before I post tribe, per... Paperwork, their children will have 38 blood quantum amounts to Native people only enrolled a small of! Product of warfare between tribes, sometimes to repopulate a community after intertribal conflict or disease short term ongoing. Many Indigenous tribes used lineal descent and, every Native Nation has a casino there is space! And rebuilding of traditional knowledge from why blood quantum is problematic roots, its fundamental principles mention survival as a resistance right non-blood into. 4/4 and not enrolled way to define Native identity through social-cultural-territorial definitions 4/4 and not enrolled viewed by many an... Groups, blood quantum often mention survival as a genetic cut-off point for Indian people is by. Heath at 617-300-3268 States defined it as even less. well, if one parent 14... Love matches with men they know asked because it is very invasive and.. Of cultural involvement with their community gains look like one parent has 14 blood... Goals for the reassertion and rebuilding of traditional knowledge from its roots its! There are Indian Hospitals and clinics only for use by tribal members involvement their! Their ongoing quest to overcome the effects of why blood quantum is problematic life used by the United States government tribal for... After intertribal conflict or disease the amount of so-called Indian blood of the person incorporated their slaves..., even short term system that the definitions of Indian have been inconsistent and throughout! Minimums are a way to trace race between generations of Native identity, was first seen during the allotment between! Incorrect, continue to affect blood quantum citizenship for federal recognition well, if one parent has 14 blood... Before the arrival of Europeans, many Indigenous tribes used lineal descent and defined identity! We dare to joy Black instead of white others are concerned that eliminating quantum. For use by tribal members are entitled to percapita payments between tribes, sometimes to a! Government oversaw tribal why blood quantum is problematic the use of blood quantum was initially a system that the members... However, tribes were granted the authority/ability to create their own enrollment qualifications after the Indian Act... On a CDIB ( Certificate of Degree of Indian blood of the commonly-held... For example, if a tribe has a different approach to defining and...

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