Forum

To:  Bureau of Indian Affairs

Native America does not believe that the BIA or any other government organization has the right to determine who is or is not Native American by degree of blood. There is no other group in America that is ever asked who they are by how much blood.

This archaic process began in 1705 in Virginia as a way of denying civil rights to blacks and Indians who at that time were assumed to be inferior races. Many states instituted these laws as a way of deciding who had equal rights to whites and encouraged people of color to relinquish their identities so as to be able to enjoy the rights freely given to others. In this way, it was assumed that Native people would eventually become extinct through assimilation and intermarriage. But this did not, and will not, happen. Native people, even through intermarriage and assimilation will not disappear. Even through intermarriage and assimilation, Native people still hold tightly to their culture and their lineage and must be honored and recognized by their own determination alone, not by degree of blood.

The idea that any government can identify who is Native and who is not by blood quantum is an out dated and unnecessary ideology that is held today because of the governments unwillingness to provide services to people with certain degrees of blood. It is time to do away entirely with this process. Blood quantum does not determine who and what Indians are. Only Native societies and /or communities have the sovereign right to determine who is and who isn't a part of their nation, tribe, clan, or community. Because it has always been an Indian value to be inclusive, high numbers of black Indians, Hispanics and Anglos have been accepted through various means into many Indian communities, in addition to those who are Indian, with mixed ancestry. Every indigenous nation had and has a process for accepting, or adopting outsiders into the fold. From mixed blood Indians through intermarriage, to like-minded people of other races, indigenous communities and nations must determine "who is Indian".

It is no mystery that America has financial obligations to its Indian nations and "certified" Indian people, but these are doled out
intermittently and begrudgingly. Simply put, the fewer indigenous citizens, the less money will be paid out. And the more difficult it is to be legally certified "Indian", the less Indians there will be. Not only is this racist economics in action but it is also blood quantum genocide. By allowing America to determine who is Indian, simply because the government doesnt want to be held accountable, to their word, by meeting their obligations, we allow the US government to legislate Indians out of existence. No other group including African Americans, Asians, Latinos need a card to prove who they are.

With this petition, we are declaring that the only recognition necessary is that of community acceptance and involvement. This is the right of our sovereignty and self determination. As with all other people in all other social programs in this country, the people that should be the recipients of Indian government programs should be determined solely by need, not by blood quantum and not by association with reservations.

Submitted by:

Christine Rose/STAR
www.egroups.com/group/STAR-STAR

Lawrence Sampson/SETAim

 

This is Pono, o Pomai
www.setaim.com