The legitimacy of mixed-bloods

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.
I am only part Indian, but all of me is confused.

A couple of weeks ago, Indian Country Today ran an editorial that discussed the opportunities for education and employment available to Native American youth today. The piece also talked about how Native communities should do what they can to support the endeavors of their young people, and how young people in turn should do what they can to support their communities, tribes, and nations.

While such noble assertions are all well and good, they often fail to include and take into account an often-overlooked group of people: those of mixed blood, especially those not tribally enrolled and tied to reservation communities. One can essentially relegate such people to the status of the unwanted stepchildren of Indian Country.

The label “mixed blood” can carry a number of different meanings. Throughout Indian Country, the phrase commonly refers to a person who can trace his or her lineage to at least one American Indian group and to at least one other non-Native nation. Mixed bloods may or may not be enrolled in federally-recognized tribes. Those who cannot claim tribal enrollment likely have awareness of their Native American heritages, but are unable to fully document their bloodlines. Due to issues such as tribal enrollment and certification of Indian blood, Native Americans represent the only group of people in the United States who must provide proof of who they are in terms of national origin.

The entire article: http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Native/history_heritage/whitehead_mixedbloods_genocide.asp

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Most non-native people have totally "mixed blood", so I don't see your point. Most Caucasian people in America today trace their ancestry to more than one ethnic group. Most nations in Europe have been subject to multiple movements of population groups, resulting in a great deal of genetic diversity there. The only ethnic group that is supposedly homogeneous are the Japanese, but Japanese Americans tend not to limit marriage partners to their own group, thus join the ethnic melting pot as well.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

Yes...I can understand your leaning. I can trace my own mixed heritage in America and my own family's place in history since 1710. The blend and mix....the older the American family, the more the mix.

However,

To understand this issue in relation to Indian, this sort of captures it quite well.

--> Native Americans represent the only group of people in the United States who must provide proof of who they are in terms of national origin.

It is an issue of identity

....and of culture.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Believe me this to be true.

I've had to "prove" my national origin at more than one time in my life.

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--> Native Americans represent the only group of people in the United States who must provide proof of who they are in terms of national origin.

Is there any other group that gets such extensive benefits (not to discount the bad stuff) solely on the basis of "who they are."?

I'm not trolling, I'm seriously curious.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

Thank you for your very honest question....but in order to answer it, what "extensive benefits" are they receiving? I believe many of the posts indicate the contrary.

Peace to you

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Thank you for your very honest question....but in order to answer it, what "extensive benefits" are they receiving? I believe many of the posts indicate the contrary.

Peace to you

With respect, I, too, am curious as to what "extensive benefits" there are for the NAI, suesquatch.......

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I'm thinking specifically of free college, including books and a living stipend.

"Extensive" was a poor word. SOrry.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Thank you for the clarification, suesquatch.

To address the free college tuition and/or scholarship programs for others, I know that in my children's home town, there is one huge corporation that waives the entire cost of tuition, including books, dormitory housing, and other fees for college if the individual is born in that city, starts kindergarten there, and graduates from highschool in that city. Others who live there and did not start kindergarten or enter into the elementary level receive a pro-rated waive if they graduate from highschool in that city.

No one need be any stated national origin. It is soley to keep jobs in that town and allow it to flourish and grow. Kudos to that corporation.

And, I'm fairly certain there are other major corporations with their home office located in a city that provide the same thing.

Another example: The African American colleges (many), offer scholarships and other advantages via charitable donations from the UNCF. The requirements for this are as follows:

  1. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
  2. Students must have unmet need as verified by the university financial aid office
  3. Students must complete the free application for student aid

These individuals do not have to prove their national origin, mixed or otherwise, in order to receive aid.

The assistance for the NAI is strictly limited to Indian. But, in order to receive the assistance, one must "prove" their very existence as such. No other human being must prove their origin in order to be qualified to receive aid.

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The assistance for the NAI is strictly limited to Indian. But, in order to receive the assistance, one must "prove" their very existence as such. No other human being must prove their origin in order to be qualified to receive aid.

See, though, herein lies the problem. If it doesn't need to be proven, what is to stop me (aside, of course, from common decency, which is often lacking) from saying, "Yo! Me! Yoo-hoo! Pay for MY school! Yeah, I'm NAI. Sure. Whatever."

Certainly, I see enough people just on this board whining that they actually have to pay for school that if there were no proof required everyone BUT NAI's would be getting their tuition paid.

I don't know what the answer to this one might be. What do you and WOlfie think?

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Specializes in Correctional, Home Care, Clinic and LTC.

just my 2-cents again, however my thoughts are that no amount of "bribe" can make the difference for taking and ruining ones home ---every "advantage" in property, or even family stability from factory work by those who were born here came from stolen lands-The treaties a legal govt to govt agreements

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
just my @cents again, however my thoughts are that no amount of "bribe can make the difference for taking and ruining ones home every "advantage" in property, or even stability from factory work came from stolen lands-The treaties a legal govt to govt agreements

Could you possibly reword this post? I don't understand what you are trying to convey.

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