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What if you were orphaned, so you don't know what you are, but the doctors think we have Native American blood, going off some of our health problems, does anyone help with testing? ?
I know adults who were adopted into white families and have access to Indian Health Services.
Below is an excerpt from the website posting listed at the end.
"Finally, adoption proceedings can be used to identify blood quantum. Under the Indian Child Welfare Act, an adopted Indian child's natural parents' names and many times, blood quantum, are included in the adoption decree. An individual who is attempting to enroll with a tribe and was adopted can legally ask to have his/her adoption records unsealed to view the material. This information may then be used to establish a correct blood quantum calculation with the tribal enrollment office."
Ive always been fascinated by these people and have been reading about the reservations, their quality of life, health issues and find this appalling that more isnt done for them..doesnt the government care? does anyone care? American Indian Reservations Served - Native American Aid
Ive always been fascinated by these people and have been reading about the reservations, their quality of life, health issues and find this appalling that more isnt done for them..doesnt the government care? does anyone care? American Indian Reservations Served - Native American Aid
It's a mixed bag as far as particular reservations go. Some Tribes on some reservations do quite well, others struggle, either due to lack of resources or to inconsistent government effort (both Federal Government and Tribal government) and some do about as well as their non-Indian neighbors..
If the Reservation is rich in natural resources and the Tribe is willing to exploit those resources there can be quite a good life for the Tribal people.
For a lot of Tribes, gaming has become the number One industry and in some cases Tribal members are well beyond comfortable.
In other Reservations (including allotted Tribal Trust and Restricted fee lands, oil, gas, coal, uranium, precious and industrial metal and more prosaic minerals give the people good income. Many Tribal members work on ranches raising cattle or sheep. Some in the Great Lakes Region have commercial fisheries.
Unfortunately there are reservations so resource poor that the Tribes struggle. Not too many have nothing, but all too many have "not enough". Please note that many Indians choose not to live on the Reservation; they go where they can get jobs, but this also makes it harder to remain true to their culture; that's why so many people in this thread can tell you their degree of Indian blood, but have no further connection to their Tribe.
As far as the general population goes, typical attitudes are, well, completely indifferent. It's like many Northerners feel about the Civil War "it was a long time ago, the other guys were wrong, we won. Why do I have to know this again?" If somebody is taking a trip through a reservation, they might study up a little, but generally not. To be fair there are many who have an interest, but just not most.
Some Reservations are extinguished. For example, there are no reservations in my home state of Oklahoma, even though it was set aside specifically as Indian country. Prior to Statehood the various reservations were broken up and each Tribal member was "allotted" a share of his/her former reservation. Again some of them became millionaires while others struggled and sometimes failed.
Thanks Skip.. that explains a lot.. they seem to be the forgotten people.. no one really talks much about them.. quite sad..as it seems most were given land that wasnt any use for crops.... how awful is that... a bit like the Highland clearances in Scotland only on a grander scale in the US.. shame on them..
Thanks Skip.. that explains a lot.. they seem to be the forgotten people.. no one really talks much about them.. quite sad..as it seems most were given land that wasnt any use for crops.... how awful is that... a bit like the Highland clearances in Scotland only on a grander scale in the US.. shame on them..
As I said it's a mixed bag. One of the "worthless desert" reservations is in what is now Palm Springs California, the Tribal members there may have land leases with Gucci and Prada-- they are probably not hurting.
Some of the Oklahoma Tribes also did well; in some, individuals became rich when oil was discovered (Gilcrease Art Museum in Tulsa was given to the city by Thomas Gilcrease, a Muskogee Creek who had land in what became known as the Glenn Pool named after Ida Glenn, another Creek one of the early giant oil fields).
Another Oklahoma Tribe, the Osages, allowed the surface rights to be allotted, but retained Tribal control over the Minerals. They were known at one time as the richest nation per capita in the world. They sent their kids to school at Oxford and Harvard, and when a tribal member went to France after WWI he liked a sculpture so much that he bought it; and so his gravesite is decorated by an original Rodin.
Right now, well at least in the last five years, Tribal and allotted lands in North Dakota are paying the owners royalties in six figure ($100,000+) a month.
Other tribes in other places didn't fare so well, but the same can be said about their non-Indian neighbor pretty often.
I just found out that my great great grandmother was full blooded Native American so that would make me pbe sixteenth. What do I do to see what benefits that I qualify for and how I may be able to help others from her people,
I just found out that my great great grandmother was full blooded Native American so that would make me pbe sixteenth. What do I do to see what benefits that I qualify for and how I may be able to help others from her people,
This seems a common question here at genealogy forum. The answer is , "it depends".
Tribal
It will depend upon which tribe or nation your gggrandmother was an enrolled member of and whether or not that tribe has enrollment open to you---whether you meet their qualifications for enrollment & if so, what if any benefits you are entitled. Some have blood quantum restrictions, others do not, some require residence on reservation & some do not, some are open to new enrollment & some are not, etc. It tribe makes its own rules. Reservations can consist of more than one tribe, band, & nation.
National
The BIA will be able to determine if you fit criteria for NA designation and which if any benefits you qualify for. You may qualify for Indian health services.
State
Some states provide college tuition waivers at state universities or other financial & educational support for NA students that reside in their state; some do not. Some states provide NA bid preference on state awarded contracts with NA ownership or part ownership and or partially federal funded state awarded contracts include NA preference hiring clauses.
Be aware some nations may welcome your interest in your newly found ancestry, but some may not. I imagine tribal office phones ring frequently with someone asking about what they "can get" in terms of financial award as result of a newly discovered ancestral tie to that tribe.
Sometimes the full blooded part of family story is a bit skewed. So be certain to have all your documents sipportung your assertions in hand prior to visiting an office.
Actually, I wasn't trying to get anything. I was interested in learning some about ancestry, what's going on now and how I might help. I have a job with benefits, an education, and the business pays employees to get more related education. Actually, my feelings are a bit hurt as it seems that lots assumr everyone inquiring just wants something and doesn't even care about things otherwise. I hope that things will smooth out about misunderstandings as now lots are studying geneology and just excited to learn about whatever their ancestry has been and like me have heard there has been some hardship and figured better late than never for help. My godmother has been a missionary with native Americans long ago before she ever knew that we really do have native American ancestry. I usually just help on local volunteer projects, but thought I ought to inquire.
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Thanks
