Disenrollin' Down The River

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines the term disenroll as “to erase from a roll or list.” But, what does that really mean?

The issue of disenrolling tribal members is one that goes up there with land quandaries, casino problems, and Leonard Peltier. I believe that tribes should have the authority and jurisdiction to govern over their own reservations, without fear of involvement or interference from the United States government. The purpose of being a sovereign nation is that of being able to make decisions without government help. Another glance at my friend, the dictionary, reads that sovereign is a term meaning “self-governing; independent”.

However, the government feels that they can control enrollment, as well as every aspect of tribal government, thus destroying the idea of sovereignty altogether. When I was younger, I can recall my father claiming that the government changes the blood quantum for tribal enrollment all the time for their own benefit. “The less Indians there are, the less money they have to give away!”, my father, a quarter-blooded Ojibwe, insisted.

As the required blood quantum gets more restricted, the less “real Indians” there will be. And, in truth to what my father says, the less government checks there will be issued. On the Turtle Mountain Reservation in northern North Dakota, only enrolled members (those with a blood quantum of ¼ or more Ojibwe blood) could qualify for G.A. – General Assistance. Although G.A. was cut (due to the budget) by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) during the summer of 2005, this is one of the examples of government issued monies to ‘real’ Indians.

But what is a “real Indian?” Stereotypes dictate that a “real" Indian lives in a teepee on an Indian Reservation and has a name like Albert Roaring Thunder of John Eagle Feather. False.

It isn’t where you live or what your name is, but instead is something inside. A respected tribal elder once said to me: “It isn’t what you look like on the outside, but how you feel on the inside. You’re Native American if you feel Native American.” How true she was.

Not only am I Native American but also French (-Canadian and -Huguenot), German, Norwegian, Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Belgian, Brazilian, and Swedish. I embrace all of my nationalities, but my Native American blood is the only one that I need to have substantial proof in order to find definition. I can say that I’m German, no one would blink an eye, but if I said I am Native American, everyone would stand up and say “Prove it.” This is where blood quantum enters the picture.

The act of enrolling and blood quantum in the first place is archaic and is a method created by the United States government to break tribes apart (in a bid for assimilation). Before the founding of the United States, the idea of enrolling and this organizational mumbo-jumbo did not exist. Definitions have been set by the government to define what is and isn’t “Indian”. So, if someone does not meet those set requirements, they are not officially Indian; they would be considered white.

As an enrollee descendant, I consider myself to be Native American (both internally and externally), along with the many nationalities that my ancestors racked up throughout the centuries. Just because of the fact that I am not enrolled, it doesn’t mean that I am any less Native American then my neighbor. Personally, I do not set a value as to how much Native American some one is. For example, my 5th-great-grandmother, a Canadian prairie woman named Suzanne, was a one hundred percent pure Sioux woman. Even though the Sioux blood I inherited from Grandmother Suzanne has co-mingled with many other bloods throughout the seven generations it took for me to form, I still consider myself as being Sioux. However, the government does not. Instead, because the Sioux blood is not in the majority of my genetic make-up, I am instead a nationality-less human being. Does that mean that I am one of millions that the government is denying their heritage? Absolutely! No matter what list I do or do not appear on, I know what I am. I don’t need my name on a piece of government paper to put me under a categorization or to appreciate or honor my heritage.

However, there are some that don’t feel the same way. The denying of one’s heritage – or cultural alienation – is considered one of the characteristics leading to depression when it comes to Native Americans. And Indian Country is slowly starting to grow with depression statistics. According to a study conducted by Kimberly Forrest, PhD in 2001, Native American children had the highest depression rate. This is something serious that needs to be stopped.

Resolving the enrollment issue is a task that should be achieved by every sovereign nation. Regaining every part of sovereignty will help to create a stronger Indian Country. Setting guidelines for enrollment is key, but it should be done solely by the tribe.

When you consider the current interference by the United States government, it can send shivers down your spine to think about what is next. Will Indian Country let that happen before it’s too late to stop? I feel the United States government should cease in interfering with the process of tribal sovereignty. After all, they have their own government to take care of.

James Falcon is a freelance writer. He lives on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, and can be reached for comment at: littlechief_falcon@yahoo.com.