The U.S. uses “blood quantum” laws to determine legal Native American Status, judging an individual’s Status as a legally recognized Native American by the fraction of Native American ancestry in their bloodline. Most tribes in the U.S. base membership eligibility on blood quantum, but requirements vary from tribe to tribe. Once a person is enrolled in a tribe, they become what King refers to as a “Legal Indian,” a person that is federally recognized as Native.
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Blood Quantum Term Timeline in The Inconvenient Indian
The timeline below shows where the term Blood Quantum appears in The Inconvenient Indian. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3. Too Heavy to Lift
...recognized tribes. Eligibility is controlled by tribes and varies, though most determine eligibility by “ blood quantum ,” that is, by the percentage of Native blood in one’s ancestry. In 1950, the...
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Chapter 8. What Indians Want
...contemporary Native peoples. Currently, tribal membership in an Aboriginal Nation is determined by federal law, blood quantum , and tribal regulations. In Canada, the Indian Act and other treaties set the terms...
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...between a registered Indian or ancestor and the Indian requesting membership. Some tribes have additional blood quantum requirement. For example, the Comanche in Oklahoma require a minimum blood quantum of one-quarter. The...
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