Tribal Enrollment: Blood Quantum, Seperation, and Native Identity
Shelby C. Tosa
Jemez Pueblo
Embedded Files
https://www.jemezpueblo.org/.
Connection
I connect to this topic in the ways of having an interest in how the Tribal Enrollment and blood quantum system works overall. I've always also wondered if everyone in the pueblo and the ones living there were full blooded Jemez. Aside from that my curiosity led to wanting to get deeper into it. after gaining my tribal membership card and looking at the numbers of my Indian and Jemez blood fractions, I wondered why they looked different as to having different numbers (fractions). I myself am an enrolled member of a lineal descent by having mixed blood quantum and coming from the tribes of Jemez and Laguna. Learning that and participating in both places made me think, how this is all determined through blood quantum and Tribal Enrollment.
Research Log I: Identity
Tosa Shelby, colorful walk September 21, 2024
Sharing One's Skin: The Okanagan Community by Jeannette Armstrong
In the article "Sharing One's Skin" by Jeannette Armstrong, the four selves of the Okanagangan people are introduced. They describe how each capacity is different with our connection and bonds to each one. The Okanagan people have their own perspectives on them, allowing them to teach others how they view and see the world. It's about the connection with who we are as people with our emotions and personality outside, known as the real world.
Citation: Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470.
Tosa Shelby, fall season, October 2, 2023
"How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscape" - B. Toastie
Memories and stories are connected to our land as described by B. Toastie in the article "How place names impact the way we see landscape", as described there are ways people view and connect to the land and the names of places as there are stories to every place and reason to it. Overall it is the stories behind a place that keep it going, knowing the stories along with an individual's memory is the impact on how we see landscape. As for native americans it is different, as they have sacred places that hold a mythic layer of significance. It's important to know the stories of these places to share and teach others the good it has to them.
Citation: Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News: Know the West, 1 May 2022htt ps://www.hcn.org/issues/54.5/people-places-how-place-names-impact- the-way-we-see-landscape.
Tosa Shelby, School snow, February 13, 2023
And Then I Went To School: Memories of a Pueblo Childhood - Joe Suina
In the article "And then I went to school" by Joe Suina, he mentions how he grew up, his experiences in his life of going to school and living with his grandmother. Mr. Suina conveys all the good things of how he grew up, how he was taught the ways of his culture, language and tradition by his grandmother. Prior to all of it, he then had to leave it behind for his education, which also made him become distant as he had to adjust to "leave your indian at home!". The years of school in his life affected him with pain and misery, he felt like nothing from when he grew up was the same anymore and had to adjust to a whole new life.
Citation: Suina, Joseph “And I went to School.” Memories of a pueblo childhood,” pp 1-6, Reprint with permission of the author from the New Mexico Journal of reading, Winter 1985, Val,V No,2,”Rainbird illustrations by Tom Lea from ti.p, Mavo, Pueblo designs.
Research Log II: History
American Indian History: "Overview of Indian Political Issues" by Deborah Welch
"The importance of Indians is now generally known and understood" as described in the article "Indian Political Issues" by Deborah Welch, politics brought a whole new world to the Indian World. As mentioned, it changed a lot for the Indians, the way they identified themselves, coming from nations, multiple ones leading them to struggle from self governing, especially after the arrival of Columbus. With this, politics were different in all places and levels certainly for the tribal level of Indians, such as having debates, deciding who should rule the community. However, for Indians this has always been going on, it was nothing new to them when the Europeans arrived, as it is also still a process that continues on today.
Welch, Deborah. “Indian Political Issues Overview.” Political Issues, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2019. American Indian
https://indianpueblo.org/wp-content/uploads/tribal_sovereignty.jpg
History: "Indian tribal Sovereignty and Governance" by Deborah Welch
History: "Indian tribal Sovereignty and Governance" by Deborah Welch
"The sovereignty of an individual Indian nation is understood in this power to establish their own Citizenship" as said in the Article "Indian tribal Sovereignty and Governance" by Deborah Welch, Indians gained Citizenship in 1924. Starting from there, acts were passed Impacting Indians and their citizenship as well as dual citizenship. In Addition to that, Indians were considered indian on how they either became a member or were already a member of a tribe, due to having "some" indian blood and getting accepted by groups. Tribal membership also came into effect during this time as it required enrollment. Enrollment also requires blood quantum, looking at your ancestry background, tribal family lineage.
Welch, Deborah. “Tribal Sovereignty and Governance.” Political Issues, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2019. American Indian History,online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18266&itid=WE43&articleId=190556,online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&articleId=190556.
Indian Reorganization Act (1934)
Indian Reorganization Act (1934)
The "Indian Reorganization act of 1934" mentions the U.S government ending their policy of allotment and when tribes began their tribal organization, which allowed them to improve on Indian life. during this time, Natives also focused on ruling their own tribes , dealing with their own native matters, as well as defining tribal membership requirements using blood quantum. Tribal enrollment then was the impact on Indian individuals for allotment, funding for schools and land grants on their reservations. Furthermore, the article also described the focus on Indian lands and reservations, along with the indian rights of organization, credit systems for indians, grants of home rules to indians and provided education.
"Indian Reorganization Act (1934)." The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience ,ABCCLIO,2024,americanndian.abcclio.com/Search/Display/1463099. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.
Current State of the Issue
Tosa Shelby, fall season, October 2, 2025
“Lower the blood quantum: Embracing Lower blood Quantum, New Members Enroll in a Tribe” by Kimberly Burk
“Lower the blood quantum: Embracing Lower blood Quantum, New Members Enroll in a Tribe” by Kimberly Burk
As said in the article “It’s always nice to see progress and continuing our legacy as a tribe”. In the article, the Cheyenne Tribe and their tribal citizens hosted a vote to lower the blood quantum requirement for citizenship from one-four to one- eighth. As it was passed after taking action, many people who felt the pressure of inadequate citizenship felt relief. Prior to that feeling, there were reasons for it and the main one was also the feeling of intimidation for many as they participate, practice their culture and tradition as they are not enrolled and yearn for citizenship. Some may get treated like a tribal citizen, but the impression of intimidation affects them by those who do have the citizenship and who are enrolled members. However, these are people that come from a family following their legacy of traditions, teachings, and their cultural background. Referring to Enrollment 'requirements’ most tribes don't have the same requirements when it comes to enrolling, the article gave a good example of that, once their enrollment applications opened up, an individual didn't have to come from their tribe, they had a choice of choosing the Cheyenne tribe and helped them gain more people as well as raising the population. To them it was okay as they said “The bigger we get, the more resources we can provide for our Tribal members”.
Global Connections
Constitution of the Osage Nation
Constitution of the Osage Nation
written by the Osage people of Oklahoma
written by the Osage people of Oklahoma
The constitution states that it was created because of "Tribal sovereignty", a way they as a nation can govern themselves and reorganize. In Article III: Membership of the Constitution, It shares a great amount of info on how they work with enrollment such as gaining membership as a citizen from the Osage tribe. This tribe’s enrollment includes Base roll and qualification for their requirements. Base roll, as said in the constitution "shall consist of those whose name appear on the final roll of osage tribe of indians pursuant to Act of june 28, 1906, along with being a lineal descent upon Osages listed.
Constitution of the Osage Nation. Osage Nation, 05 February 2025, https://osage.nation.codes/Constitution/3_3
“Eliminating blood Quantum requirements for the U.S - Canada crossing” by Nika Bartoo-Smith
In the article “Eliminating blood Quantum requirements for the U.S - Canada crossing” by Nika Bartoo-smith, it analyzes most of the issues happening in Canada and the U.S as well as with the citizens who are learning to adapt to a the process of border crossing and Newcomings of laws and affection in tribal self-determination along with Citizens and the Ktunaxa Nation. As for many Native Americans and tribes what blood Quantum was never to approach for Native identity however it reached Canada and the Ktunaxa Nation. This was never the issue until the nation was all divided by a border leading to the creation of laws and layers of complications. Blood Quantum was then used as a way of showing proof of identification; within reason to be shown in order to cross the border entering the US from Canada, it was originally opposed by the U.S causing it to affect Tribal sovereignty and Tribal self-determinations. Overall as many things became more complicated with identity “proof” it also affected many families leading to separation and having them reside from two sides due to the Border splitting the U.S and Canada.
: https://ictnews.org/news/eliminating-blood-quantum-requirements-for-us-canada-crossing
“The Complex Politics of Tribal Enrollment”
“The Complex Politics of Tribal Enrollment”
by the New Yorker Rachel Monroe
by the New Yorker Rachel Monroe
In the article “The Complex Politics of Tribal Enrollment” by the New Yorker Rachel Monroe, it discusses a tribe known as the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina. This tribe is known to be a non federally recognized tribe, however it also deals primarily with Tribal Enrollment, such as having requirements, and gaining benefits as a member of the tribe. The article describes one of enrollment issues resulting within the process and how it can give doubts on an individual’s identity, as well as the feeling of insecurity. As mentioned, most tribes also provide many benefits to membership citizens as they have proven and shown their lineage to a federally recognized tribe, along with the connections they hold throughout their families. Numerous issues come upon enrollment, as said in the article one of the issues can mostly fall on paternal, residing in the father when it comes to enrolling, while looking at their lineage and family background. An Example of this could be a person's absent father and not being able to enroll as his/her father doesn't show anything to be able to enroll. Additionally, every tribes’ requirements differ such as having a patrilineal requirement.
https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-complex-politics-of-tribal-enrollment
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