Here's a question for the general public...very interesting...please answer...i want everyones input?

Question

ok. i have an idiot ex boyfriend who i just got out of an argument with. the argument is how he got his free education. he was telling me that because he is 25% of a certain kind of Indian he gets his education for free. i was arguing that it was because of his financial status not ethnicity. To look at him: pale white skin, blonde hair, nd blue eyes. Does this sound quarter indian to you? my question is: Is this even permissibly possible or is my ex a rumbling idiot jackoff on welfare??

oh yea...and i would also like to know how it is even scientifically possible to come up with exact percentages of someones ethnicity? if im the idiot please educate me...perhaps 4 years of college just isnt enough

i do know that minorities do get aid because of financial status...i just never heard of people getting aid for ethnicity. Will a millionaire African American get a free education because they are black?? I know they get extra honors and awards for high educational achievement but i've never heard of this.

good answers. let me give you more details on him. hes from detroit michigan and claims to be an ex Crip. But heres the kicker...how is he 25% indian while none of his grandparents are pure blood indian? his parents arent either? explain that

i must say. these are all good responses. and i seemed to have started a debate. but as a member of the working class (also white caucasian) I must interject to say that I get a free education at a community college (about $1300/semester) but my QPA is above a 3.2. I get grants and scholarships for low-income and high grades. I also know another person whos father owns chains stores who applied for financial grants and got no money from the government because his financial status is higher than mine. So...are you people telling me that financial status has nothing to do with federal grants?? How does our American government dare call itself equal and non-discriminatory if minorities are in better financial status than I am, are getting more financial aid for an education just because of skin color or ethnicity?? Is this what you are telling me?

As for you telling me to move on...you do not understand my predictament...he owes me a great deal of money and i have to keep in touch with him to get the money owed...therefore, id love to move on, but hes like a sore on my left toe. Perhaps those of you shouldn't base judgement on that which you know not of..I wasn't asking for my personality analysis for another thing..I was asking a simple question for a simple answer...Not cocky replies on my personal life (I still don't understand why people have to hit below the waist so that they can feel better about themselves). I feel that my ex is committing fraud because honestly, how many Americans truely are 25%-100% Native American. And if my ex has no membership to a tribe..how is it permissible? I believe it impossible since both of his parents do not resemble Natives. Wouldn't one of them resemble a Native (at least a little)?

In Ethics, Kant, in his second formulation, says use others as a mean in themselves, not as a means to the end. Think on that as you consider those on welfare who play the system and put nothing into the system. Then there are those on welfare who Nozick can justify for. Those who have jobs and are on welfare make a just transfer because they pay the taxes and take as well..Consider your answer carefully.

Answer 1

There are many different factors to consider.

#1. When most Native Americans were registered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, many non-pure blood people were admitted as 4/4 blood quantum. This is particularly true of many Eastern tribes, who look nothing like the Native Americans in the Southwest.

#2. It is possible that he inherited a less dominant gene from his mother which would result in his white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes.

#3. There are several post-secondary schools which a registered member of a federally-recognized tribe can attend tuition-free. He would still have to pay for room and board though. Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO is one example of a post-secondary school that offers a tuition-free education for registered members of a federally-recognized tribe.

#4. Several states have agreements with tribes whose reservation resides within their state. Montana offers free tuition to any in-state school for registered members of tribes who graduate on their respective reservations that are located within Montana.

#5. Most smaller tribes have a scholarship program to pay for some, if not all, college expenses. Larger tribes, such as the Navajo tribe, will typically pay for part of a student's college expenses.

I am full-blooded Dinè, aka Navajo. To give you some perspective on how widely financial aid varies for Native Americans, I had my first two years off college paid through scholarships and grants. Approximately 1/5 of my college costs were paid for by my tribe. The rest was paid for by scholarships and grants that any person can get. For the last two years of college, I had to take out a student loan. I do know several Native American college graduates who had their costs completely paid for by their tribe. Those tribes tend to have an enrollment of less than a 1000 members though so they don't have to split the funds they set aside for scholarships with a lot of people whereas the Navajo tribe does.

Answer 2

Okay, first of all, the sub-practice area of law dealing with Native Americans is pretty much a specialty, and one I don't deal in, so all I know is what I've gleaned from a few friends over the years who have practiced it.

Basically, it's different because the laws on the subject come from treaties, not as a result of class action lawsuits or equal rights amendments or regular laws. It's the result of agreements between sovereign governments, the federal gov't of the United States and, for example, the Sioux Nation.

Under one or more of these treaties, the federal government gives money to members of the tribes to go to college. It has nothing to do with financial need or even ethnicity. It's because of membership in a given tribe.

The tribes are pretty much empowered to decide who is a member. Most have rules, such as being able to prove an ancestor within a limited number of generations was a member, or full blooded, but as far as eligibility for the gifts goes, it's about proving membership in the tribe, not blood. I don't think the federal government has the authority to contradict a ruling of the tribal authorities if they decide to extend membership to a person who is clearly not of native american descent.

Is it fair? No, it's not.

Is there anything anyone can do about it? Not without rescinding the treaties, and we've probably done about as much of that as we should.

Answer 3

I love moronic answers, you cannot tell someone's race by a DNA test, you can tell if someone has common attributes with someone in their family, but you cannot tell race *idiot*. As for getting financial aid for your heritage, of course you can get grants and stcholarships for being Indian, but most of the time down the road you have to pay them back. You can get financial aid for financial status, and some of what they give does have to do with statistical analysis of what ethnicities get continuing educations and which do not. Now, on that note, a millionaire black man isn't gonna get more money than a single mother raising 2 kids on a limited income. It more has to do with a variety of different circumstances than just one thing. So most likely, even though he may be 1/4 Indian, he may have (in the eyes of the Financial Aid Board) been in a little financial need. Be happy that your man has an education, no matter how he got and paid for it...you're lucky he's not working fast food or on welfare. I guess you just have to pick your battles.

Answer 4

In this day and age, a person can be "Native American" and look white.

Example: My husband. He is 25% Cherokee.

His Grandfather is 100% Cherokee. His Father is 50% Cherokee, 50% Irish. His mother is 50% Seneca and 50% Irish. So my husband is 25% Cherokee, 25% Seneca and 50% Irish. He looks "white" except in the summer.

Because of the terrible things that our government has done to the Native Americans in this country, those people that have over a certain amount of verifiable Native American in them will get certain assistance with school and starting businesses. There are some tribes that if you live on the reservation you get tribal money when you come of age. These people have to be registered in order to get this money.

Answer 5

There are many different ways to land a free education, I just haven't figured out how I can manage yet (although I just landed a new job with a medical college now tied in with a university...so just maybe...). But anyway, seriously...disabilities, ethnicity, financial status, single parent, foreign student, child of a veteran, etc. You just have to know how to find it, or know someone who can for you, complete the right paperwork, make sure you check all the appropriate boxes when filling in the FAFSA paperwork, etc. And yeah, guessing he's got to show some sort of paperwork to back up his claim. I remember a few years ago, reading something about a drop of blood...a drop of African American blood makes one African American...this was obviously from ages and ages ago, can't remember how that all went...but your question reminded me of that.

Answer 6

You don't have to LOOK a certain way to be Native American. I am 25% Cherokee my father was 1/2 Cherokee and 1/2 French. His mother was full blood Cherokee. My mother was 1/2 german and 1/2 dutch so out of 7 kids in my family one had blond hair and blue eyes, one had light brown hair and green eyes and the rest of us have dark brown hair and brown eyes. By the way did you not ever hear of the Navajo they are blue eyed. By the way if this guy is your ex what the heck are you doing being around him enough to argue about something? Your 4 years in college should make you smart enough to know when to MOVE ON!!!

Answer 7

When I was in college many years ago I joined the Native American Organization even tho I am not one because of my interest in thier past. Many of the people who were in this organization got portions of their financial aid from the Indian Tribe that they belonged to. However they had to prove their ancestry to receive the money so if he says he got it, then I think it is possible. Many people of Indian descent do have very white skin and light hair due to marriages out of their race. After a few generations genetically possible to have blonde hair and blue eyes.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

I am actually 3/16 native American, and I look whiter than him, probably.
There is a way to do the statistics. You have to do your geneology and then it will make sense to you.
It could be that as a registered member of his tribe, he got some additional financial aid, and there are scholarships available for Native Americans, but most probably his FA was based on need.

Answer 10

Well, it depends. He doesn't have to look Native American in order to have that in his blood line. If he can prove his heritage then yes, he will be able to go to college for free. If he is not Native American and going to college for free, then it is because of financial status or grants/scholarships.

And to prove percentages of heritage is simple. If his grandfather was full blooded Native American and married someone who was caucasian, their offspring would be 50% Native American. The subsequent offspring of the 50 percenter would be 25% Native American.