What must be the percentage of autenticity to claim myself as "Native American"?

Question

I know I have some indian in my ancestry, probably from WVA and LA (New Orleans). I can find the tribes from that area, but what must be the percentage of authenticity, like to claim "Native American" for jobs, benefits, educational grants, US Cencus, etc.?

Answer 1

I believe you have to be at least 1/4 in order to claim Native American status, and be able to prove it (your granparents would be full-blood, your mother or your father would be 1/2, and you would be 1/4).
Or contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs at www.doi.gov. They have a section now on how to trace your Indian ancestry. The "doi" stands for Department of the Interior.

Answer 2

Wendy C. is correct in stating that different tribes require different percentages of Indian or Native American blood. What's more, in many cases an ancestor needs to be recorded on a particular roll or census. Take the Eastern and Western Cherokee, for example. Anyone seeking to prove descent from a Western Cherokee needs to find a direct ancestor listed on the Dawes Rolls between 1893 and 1907 while those wishing to prove descent from an Eastern Cherokee need to be listed on the 1924 Baker Census. Both groups require that the claimant be at least 1/16 Cherokee, meaning that at least one great-great grandparent was a full-blooded Cherokee.

Some tribal groups require a much larger percentage of "blood" however. The Ute require a 5/8th's blood requirement while the St. Croix Chippewa require tribal members to be at least 1/2 Chippewa. The average blood requirement is 1/4, meaning at least one grandparent was a Native American without any mixed-blood ancestry. Claiming Indian ancestry as author/ Ku Klux Klansman Forrest (a. k. a. Asa Earl) Carter did in The Education of Little Tree just doesn't work.

Answer 3

Because most white people don't want to seem "boring" or as a plain old white person, I guarantee you that none of the white people who claim to have Native American blood can show proof of it, you can only truly claim to be Native American if a tribe recognizes you as one, they think claiming to have Native American ancestry makes them "cool" or "special" I currently live in New Mexico so there are a lot of real Native Americans over here and they absolutely hate it when white people claim Native American blood and I can see why

Answer 4

In order to seek membership in any Federally Recognized Tribe or Nation you have to be able to show proof through birth, death, marriage certificates that you are directly descended from someone on a Native American Roll. For the Cherokee that would be either the Dawes or Baker Rolls. The blood quantum necessary for membership differs from tribe to tribe and some no longer require a certain blood quantum. To get that information you would have to contact the Tribe or Nation you are interested in gaining membership in.

No Federally recognized tribe or nation accepts DNA testing as proof of Native American ancestry.

Answer 5

Every tribe sets its own standards for qualified enrollment. The same is true for any specific program or benefit. Thus, for example.. there may be tuition reimbursement for persons who are valid (ie enrolled) members of the Chickasaw tribe. You MAY have documentation via research that confirms your grandfather was of another tribe, but not enrolled, so you would not qualify. And, as noted above.. there are Federal lists for which tribes are recognized by the government. As for the US census, since that is not any form of benefit, it is pretty much an honor question. I could tell the census taker that I am Native American, and it would not be verified.
Finding that there is a tribe in a certain locality is meaningless, in terms of proof of your heritage. You still need to locate records of your ancestor, your connection to the person, and proof that he/she was a valid member of that tribe. By researching your own ancestry, using quality methods, you will find whether or not you can verify your ancestry as being Native.
Find the ancestors first. Without that, you have no legitimate documentation that you are (or are not) a valid candidate for any tribal enrollment.

Answer 6

well im native and not once have i recieved any benifits. and if you are already part of a recognized tribe, which has to be PPROVED, than you can apply for educational grants, but just so you know there are many real natives out there that have been native from the start who are working their butts off to get those. I suggest you let those who have been native all their lives retain those grants. If you made it this far without USING your nativeness than you will be just fine.

Answer 7

Well as long as you have some percentage of Native American blood in your veins, most tribes will recognize you as at least part Native American. Due to the constant divergence of gene pools it is more likely you would be excepted, from what I have read you need only been a very small percentage in order to be considered Native American.

Answer 8

You can't just claim a tribe. They claim you and accept you. You can only have the benefits of a NA if you have a tribe. Some people have no blood but are adopted by a tribe.

I have heard somewhere that in order to recieve some benefits you have to be able to prove at least 1/16th.

Using words such as 'probably from' sort of indicates that you really have no clue as to the true amount of Native blood you have.

The big joke at Pow Wow is "Hey I have some white in me."

Answer 9

To get Native American Benefits, you must qualify to enroll in a tribe. This means one at least one parent must be a full blooded native American, who's tribal ancestry, can be verified.

Answer 10

Depends on the tribe. some go by lineage, some by blood quantum.

Any 'benefits' require that you be ENROLLED with a "FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE"
NOT
State, or other. It has to be on the federal list.

To be considered a SKIN by other Skins, you need to know your people, your history, your culture. We don't go checking cards at the door.