By: Stephanie Suazo
One of the most frequently asked questions on the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) website is: What is a federal Indian reservation?
A federal Indian reservation is “land reserved for a tribe or tribes under treaty or other agreement with the U.S ”. Reservations were also a way to resolve conflict between white settlers and Native Americans. For almost 400 years, reservations had become a place for many Native Americans to call home. However, Native Americans were slowly being deprived of federal funding and outreach. The U.S government had made promises for Native American communities but was left unfilled. However, through statistics, we can see that reservations and federal tribes are still holding onto their roots. Although most Native Americans are mixed race, there are still 6.79 million Native Americans in the U.S today. In this blog, we will explore the largest reservations with the highest Native American populations. We cannot cover all 50 states but, we have focused on the top 10 states that have the highest Native American/Indigenous population.
Did you know?
Did you know there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S? Did you also know that Native Americans were granted citizenship in 1924? That meant that many Native Americans weren’t allowed to vote until then. As of 2021, about 78% of Native American live off reservation and most of them vote Democrat. However, studies have shown that Native Americans that are “proficient in their tribal language and had more American Indian grandparents were more likely to be Republican”.
Federally Recognized Tribes v. State Recognized Tribes
Federally recognized tribes “have a government-to-government relationship with the United States…and are eligible for funding and services. However, some federally recognized tribes are also recognized by states”. Meanwhile, State recognized tribes “acknowledge tribal status within the state but does not guarantee funding from the state or federal government. State-recognized Indian tribes are not necessarily federally recognized.”.
Top 10 Federally & State Recognized Tribes in the U.S
New York
Federally Recognized Tribes: 8
North Carolina
Federally Recognized Tribes: 1
Oklahoma
Federally Recognized Tribes: 38*
Alaska
Federally Recognized Tribes: 229*
California
Federally Recognized Tribes: 110
South Dakota
Federally Recognized Tribes: 9
Washington
Federally Recognized Tribes: 29
Texas
Federally Recognized Tribes: 3
New Mexico
Federally Recognized Tribes: 23
Arizona
Federally Recognized Tribes: 21
What is Blood Quantum or Indian Blood?
Native American reservations and awareness is becoming a hot topic of discussion since a lot of teens and young adults are speaking out. They openly discuss their personal struggles, discrimination, and racism. One thing that young Native Americans openly talk about is Blood Quantum. What is it? Blood Quantum is to determine how much Indian blood an individual possesses. Once the blood is measured, it tells the individual how much Native blood they have. Depending on the tribe, the minimum is 25% in order to meet their requirements. Where did the concept of blood quantum come from? According to Elizabeth Rule, an Assistant Director of the Center for Indigenous Politics, states “Blood quantum emerged as a way to measure ‘Indian-ness’ through a construct of race. So that over time, Indians would literally breed themselves out and rid the federal government of their legal duties to uphold treaty obligations”. Unfortunately, dictating an individual’s “Indian-ness” was allowed by the U.S government. Many young Native Americans talk about how this treatment makes them feel excluded or like animals. You can still find “Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)” on the Bureau of Indian Affairs website. The certificate comes with specific instructions on what to do and if your blood count does not meet the requirements, you can’t be affiliated with any tribe.
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