Essay On Intermarriage In Native Americans

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Tribes that adopted blood quantum will eventually become nonexistent if intermarriage amongst their member to another indigenous group or ethnicity will continue to upsurge. Intermarriage between a Native American and non-native or even an intermixture with a Native American from another tribe reduces the blood quantum of an offspring. The lesser the blood quantum a tribal citizen has, the higher the risk of ineligibility of his child to be enrolled in a federally recognized tribe. Technically, if that is the case the child would not be identified as Native Americans because the degree of blood he possesses is not enough to meet the requirements for tribal enrollment. Intermarriage not only impacts the identity of Native Americans but their population as well. If this trend persists, the number of enrolled citizens decline. Therefore, to maintain the status of the family and to keep the bloodline strong, one must marry someone from his own tribe. Otherwise, intermarriage will dramatically reduce the population of the Native American community.
2. As individual Indians fall below minimum blood percentage cutoffs; they lose eligibility for essential federal services, such as healthcare. …show more content…
Considering the history of blood quantum and the controversies associated with it, why blood quantum requirements remain a criterion for citizenship eligibility, is a perplexing question to many. There are individuals who are for and against the continued efficacy and fairness of blood quantum requirements. Opinions and beliefs about the importance of blood quantum when considering Native American identity vary. Also, there are conflicting and mixed feelings about the willingness and the desire to put an end to blood quantum implementation. The answer why blood quantum is still utilized is complex due to many factors including the influence and oversight of the government and the difficulty of changing existing
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