Quote:
|
Originally Posted by raduga
I really don't understand why the rolls must figure so prominently in determining tribal membership. Weren't the rolls a project of the U.S. government, rather than the tribes themselves?
-raduga
|
The rolls were conducted by the government. But you have to realize that the purpose of assigning a blood quantum was to eventually eliminate Native peoples--after you get below X%, you aren't Indian anymore (some tribes still have a 1/4 rule). To jumpstart the process, the government set VERY specific guidelines about who could be on the roll. If you moved off of the reservation at ANY point during the enrollment process--usually lasting a span of years--your number was striken from the rolls.
This happened to my grandfather. His brother is on the roll from Oklahoma. However, he moved to Texas for a short time before the roll was closed and (according to the government) therefore forfeited his rights to enrollment. Even though the brother is on the roll--our family is not eligible because our DIRECT descendent is not.
In order to be recognized as a Native by the federal government, you must be a DIRECT descendent of an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe.