Navajo 1/8th Blood Quantum??

[Truth Hurts]

I agree.

I'm also light a skinned native. But around where I'm from I am considered 100% native because of the way I look. You can't mistake some native qualities. I also have relatives that are blond and have very light eyes, and they are looked as white off reserve. Sometimes around the rez but seems to be just when an arguement is in effect.

[navajowmn]

Wow, this thread has been busy since I have been out. LOTS of interesting view points in here. Both views of keeping blood quantum the same as well as changing it are interesting.

Yes, it is a problem with those that are wanting recognition for some sort of gain. But what about those who are not looking for any gain... just a sense of identity. I have family who are not full bloods... who were also raised to be independent and take care of themselves... they are not looking for assistance or handouts. They are not looking to the tribe to give/help them with anything. I mean look at our state with the tribe helping our people get through school. It's crazy.

Take my sister for example. I am proud of her. She's 1/2 blood and is out on her own... not looking to get anything from the tribe and also instills traditional values on her kids. She is not married to a navajo... but she does keep those values in her children. She can't help who she falls in love with. Can anyone?

I respect those that are keeping the blood "strong". I just don't see why people have to look down on or think negatively of those who are not full blood. Not ALL 1/2, 1/4, 1/8th... what-have-you breeds are looking to be recognized in order to get something out of it... but to be a part of "family" and to just be able to say "I'm Navajo".

And if you look at it from their point of view... who's to say that keeping it at 1/4 is going to keep the blood strong. The trend of natives moving off the reservation is increasing. INCREASING. Which increases the likelihood of natives meeting and marrying non-natives. I'm not saying its bad or its good. I am just making an observation.

And there was a statement about women not being able to find a native guy?? *LOL* It works both ways... you also see native guys getting with non natives as well * LOL*.

So to those keeping the blood "strong"... good job!! And to everyone else... good job too... for keeping up the culture!! And for those doing both... good job!! Hee hee.

I am not of any partial blood quantum... I am full blood... for those who are curious *L* Keep up the posts! :Thumbs

Oh, I gave everyone good reps for posting on this thread :clap:

[hidatsawmn26]

Whoever gave me a bad rep saying what about the hobbyists. When I said it's not the blood it's the heart. I meant it doesn't matter if ya have a 1/8 or 1/4. I know a lot of full bloods that don't know anything bout being native and the ones that are 1/8 do.

AND YES I AM ONLY ONE QUATER AND A EIGHTH!!

So I guess to ya'll in here ya don't think I'm native. I could give a f***. We don't have a casino in our tribe. But when they talk about it. Guess who comes to the meeting wanting blood qut.? Yep all the full bloods that dont have kids.

thats so true...take for example my ex-fiance duke...yay hes full blooded cree but dang he knows nada about being native and he was even born on the cree rez too..and my nephew hes 1/8 but the reason why he knows nada is cuz my sister married a white supremisist...i guess she didnt know that he was that way until she married him..but now something really good is happening outta a messy situation... their getting divorced and brendon is asking more question...she hes starting to learn...my gramps is a great big deal of help to brendon..so thats good...and now my sister doesnt have to hide the fact that shes native anymore...-becca

[hidatsawmn26]

well a lot of times, its not about whats in your heart to a lot of natives. its about color...and thats the hard truth, I got a few friends who are native BUT look white...and everyone considers them to be white.

i totally disagree with ya...wut does looks have anything to do with wether yar raised native or not? so wut does that make us any less native than those who do (im talking in the heart wise)? ya know wut i may have lighter skin tone than a full blood and yay im lesser blood quantem (1/4) but i was raised as just the same as any native..

[Smeshigaud]

We just had our Council Elections here on my rez on Monday and one of the topics on the agenda was to have a referendum vote to change our constitution. There was a few other topics under that referendum but the topic that everyone knew about was the lowering of our blood quantum to 1/4. They needed 80 votes out of the 152 people who voted. The referendum did not pass, it only got 68. We had 61 people who wanted to be adopted into our tribe. Five people were accepted. They needed 80 votes to get in. 3 of the people/children who were voted in were 1/4. Two of the people voted in were 3/8. One of the children who wanted to be adopted was 5/256.

I agree there are some people who want to be members because of the recognition and to have the identity of being a community member but there are people are only in it for the "benefits". One of the people who got adopted this year made a comment in front of me at work one day. She said well hopefully I get adopted this year, so I can the benefits. I bit my tongue (which for those who know me..is VERY hard for me to do) but I wanted to ask her, is that all you want from here? And sadly for some it's true.

@ geedy and Sweetie...hey that rhymes! LOL

[Azhe'ni]

Smeshigaud what's a 5/256 lmao? There's lower that a 1/8? And whats 3/8?

[BurBz]

Oh, I gave everyone good reps for posting on this thread :clap:

:34: ....really??? i didn't get any.....





*LMAO* .... B-U-S-T-E-D *L*

[SBZ4life]

i totally disagree with ya...wut does looks have anything to do with wether yar raised native or not? so wut does that make us any less native than those who do (im talking in the heart wise)? ya know wut i may have lighter skin tone than a full blood and yay im lesser blood quantem (1/4) but i was raised as just the same as any native..

I bet where your from theres alot of light skin "natives" around yer parts. Well in Oklahoma its different...hmmm...its kinda like a dark skinned man going to a KKK meeting and saying "well Im white too, see my card!!" it just doesnt work that way...its the way of the world. MORE LATER~

[navajowmn]

:34: ....really??? i didn't get any..... *LMAO* .... B-U-S-T-E-D *L*

*LOL* I am waiting for my 24 hour thingy to go way.... and then I'll give out more *LOL* Dang 24-hour thing :taunting:
Hee hee. I'll give out whom ever I missed when I am able to give out more again...

[Azhe'ni]

I bet where your from theres alot of light skin "natives" around yer parts. Well in Oklahoma its different...hmmm...its kinda like a dark skinned man going to a KKK meeting and saying "well Im white too, see my card!!" it just doesnt work that way...its the way of the world. MORE LATER~

Yeah Oklahoma is different. LMAO I've been to Shawnee a few times to powwows. Everything is dark.LOL But that's the only place I found people to be nice. I mean like I never been treated like crap there. I think over there have the most nicest powwows. There is nothing wrong with being dark. It's the most pretty color. That's why white people go tanning. lol

[Kiwehnzii]

There is nothing wrong with being dark. It's the most pretty color.

Miigwetch. I am honored. :)

[SBZ4life]

It's the most pretty color. That's why white people go tanning. lol

Thank you Thank You...you can thank my mama and daddy

[kiyaanii mom]

Where do I start...

Geez it took amost 2 hrs to read all the post and catch up...

I am Navajo/Cherokee. My dad is 1/8th Cherokee and from Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

I was raised on the "Great Navajo Nation." I heard sheep for my Ma'sonii (grandma) and ate mutton. (I make a mean blood sausage.) My Cheii was so traditional that he never let his kids go to Native American Church meetings when they first started coming to the rez. So today almost all my family is still traditional.

I'm a light skinned Navajo. But I never knew I was "only" 1/2 until I moved away from the rez. I always thought I looked like my cousins.

I know Mr. Ervin Keeswood, the Navajo Nation Council delegate who wrote the legislation for the council to consider. He did not write it for monitary reasons. That is just the Navajo Times assumption. He wrote it to help all the Navajo kids who are 1/8. Most of that is because when they were born, there was no father in the picture and mothers could only count their blood quantum.

Point #1 - Measuring blood quantum makes me feel like an animal that has to verify pedigree to breed. (Federal Policy) My masonii would never have said I was not a Navajo because I was less than full.

Point #2 - Each tribe or band must decide within thier structure what constitutes a recognized member of their tribe. Some tribes no longer have full bloods at all or are too small to intermarry. Maybe tribes should count all the Native Blood quantum instead of only their tribe.

Point #3 - My kids are enrolled with the Navajo Nation, but if they do not marry Navajo their kids will not be able to be "federally" recognized. But I will teach them their clan(s), the beauty way, how to pray, how to be Navajo. I will never let my grandchildren think they are not Navajo.

Point #4 - The Navajo Elders say when our language dies, then the Navajo People will die. So if a Navajo wants to preserve our people, he/she should preserve our language.

*******************************
When you are light skinned in a brown skin world and naughty, everyone knows who did it!

[Azhe'ni]

Thank you Thank You...you can thank my mama and daddy

LMAO!! HA! Your craza


See people can't help what color they are. Can't help what yo mama and daddie made ya!!

[hidatsawmn26]

I bet where your from theres alot of light skin "natives" around yer parts. Well in Oklahoma its different...hmmm...its kinda like a dark skinned man going to a KKK meeting and saying "well Im white too, see my card!!" it just doesnt work that way...its the way of the world. MORE LATER~

bull****! theres tons of dark skin natives(in ohio) this way just not so much in toledo...man!! ya know jack squat about us ohioans..anwayzzz :Argue