http://www.ndnnews.com/Tribal%20Dis-Enrollment%20Issues.htmToday's genocide
Tribal dis-enrollment and the blood quantum issue are spreading throughout Indian Country like a deadly cancer, eating away the cells of our existence.
Tribal gaming has attributed to and brought the dominant cultures disease, greed. Before the existence of tribal gaming, tribes suffered from poverty, unemployment, apathy and no sense of a brighter future to come. The sudden wealth that tribal members have experienced has forced them into a new realm they have never known. California gaming tribes pay their enrolled members amounts up to $45,000 a month in gaming revenues. Tribal gaming has ignited old family feuds and corrupt leadership in several cases. If tribal members do not agree with council decisions they risk tribal dis-enrollment, in a few cases it has been entire families. This leaves more revenues available to divide among the remaining tribal members. This has become a lucrative benefit adding thousands of dollars in their corrupt pockets.
Many of these reservations have non-Indians running their tribal councils. These people are part of families that were adopted into the tribe many years ago and have taken control, dis-enrolling families that have been on the reservation for generations. Many of the California Tribes have been severely affected by this epidemic, with approximately 1500 dis-enrolled tribal members and many more currently being threatened.
Several tribes have diversified in their economy and have succeeded in benefiting their people. Many have invested millions of dollars in developing programs to care for elders, children, preserving their culture and language. Unfortunately, for some the other side is greed, which has resulted in tribes turning on each other, family feuds, hate, drugs, violence and attempted murder in several cases.
Many of the dis-enrolled tribal members have filed lawsuits with the courts, have requested investigations from the B.I.A. and other agencies, only to continually be rejected or told it is a family issue not a federal issue. The dis-enrolled tribal members are left with nowhere to turn and to defend themselves. What this amounts to is, a modern day cultural genocide and is resulting in what we have been fighting since 1492, only now, it is Indians ~vs.~ Indians. We are falling into what the dominant society has been attempting to accomplish for hundreds of years; to conquer and divide. All Native people will be affected by this in the end. Our ancestors fought against genocide with thousands giving their lives to protect the way of life for the people. I think they would be disgusted and appalled with this disease that is tearing apart and dividing Indian Country. Our survival as Native people will only be achieved though unity and living as one people inhabiting Turtle Island. Tribal gaming should have strengthened tribal sovereignty, brought financial freedom to the people and given hope for the future generations. Instead in to many cases, it has brought disunity, greed and spiritual sickness.
Some of these cases of tribal dis-enrollment have developed due to the blood quantum issues. Tribes can change their guidelines on what percentage constitutes being “Indian??? and/or a tribal member. For generations tribes have mixed with other tribes, whites and many other cultures. A tribal member or entire family can possibly be dis-enrolled due to this change in policy, even if they have resided on the reservation for generations and can attest to their lineage.
There have been dozens of cases of tribes being denied federal recognition by the B.I.A. because they can not prove their blood quantum. There are full blood Indians that can not get a tribal card because they either are not from a Federally Recognized Tribe, or they have mixed Native blood and do not have enough “blood??? from one specific tribe to enroll. In these cases the bottom line is, you are told by the government, you are not recognized as being “Indian???. One thought that comes to mind is; why is the B.I.A. still governing and determining who is and who is not, Indian? The blood quantum policy is undoubtedly a self imposed recipe for extinction. If tribes were to maintain the required blood quantum of their members from generation to generation, they would have to intra-marry (marry within the tribe) in an ever decreasing pool of people with the "appropriate" blood quantum level, giving rise to genetic diseases that would surely finish us anyway. So here is a very clever catch-22 imposed by the federal government with the sure outcome of our extermination. To prevent this, the only option is to change this policy and take control of how we determine who belongs to each of our Nations.
Another variable of the blood quantum issue that currently divides Indian Country is people that have mixed blood; Indian with white, African American, Asian and many other ethnicities. For hundreds of years Native people have been intermixing with many other cultures resulting in varied physical appearances. Many eastern tribes have people who are full blood tribal members and have lighter features than many western tribes. There are people that have been mistaken as being “white,??? by other native people, when if fact they are not. How is telling a mixed blood or non tribally recognized person that they are not Indian, any different than the racism that has happened to all Native people for 513 years? My response to that is simply, “I’m part white but can’t prove it.
It is bad enough that we continue to fight for our rights and what we are entitled to with the government, why continually fight each other? Today we continue to be suppressed, ignored and our cultures disrespected. The continual division in Indian Country over tribal gaming, dis-enrollment issues and blood quantum issues could ultimately destroy us. If everyone would unite as one people, one nation, we would become stronger and more powerful. This would be a step forward in ensuring as Indian people we don’t loose our ways, or let them succeed in the pursuit of Native People's extinction.
Written by:
Tamra Brennan
Director of NDN News
"helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?
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