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Well since he was actually elected by the majority (54%) of the Cherokee Nation (including the Cherokee Freedmen) I would say that if they are fine with it then why should we question that fact.
Indeed. They get to decide who their chief is. Apparently, that was not a serious concern.
I don't know about all tribes, but I know about Cherokee. Chief Baker has the same percentage of Cherokee lineage as my dad. My dad was a member of the Cherokee tribe. I could be a member of the Cherokee tribe too...if I wanted.
What the Cherokee care about is if you can prove your lineage. My great grandmother, and my great great grandparents were on the Dawes rolls, and thus, able to prove their lineage. Prove your lineage, become of a member of the tribe.
I'm assuming your father is an "at large" Cherokee? Most Cherokee's enroll their children. Do you at least have your CDIB card? I find it suspicious when people claim their "parent" was an enrolled Cherokee but the child says, "I could be a member of the Cherokee tribe if I want to." There are three Cherokee tribes. There is no such thing today as the "Cherokee tribe." No Cherokee would talk this way. There are three distinct nations with three separate constitutions which are federally recognized.
Chief Bill Baker is from the Cherokee Nation who have different criteria than the United Keetoowah and the EBC.
I'm assuming your father is an "at large" Cherokee? Most Cherokee's enroll their children. Do you at least have your CDIB card? I find it suspicious when people claim their "parent" was an enrolled Cherokee but the child says, "I could be a member of the Cherokee tribe if I want to." There are three Cherokee tribes. There is no such thing today as the "Cherokee tribe." No Cherokee would talk this way. There are three distinct nations with three separate constitutions which are federally recognized.
Chief Bill Baker is from the Cherokee Nation who have different criteria than the United Keetoowah and the EBC.
Excellent post. Some tribes go by blood quantum, and others as was previously discussed have to have ancestors who were on the Dawes rolls. In order to become a member of my tribe you must be at least one quarter native. And a person cannot be enrolled in more than one tribe.
I have never heard of anyone saying they could be a member of X tribe if they wanted to be. That must have been a very young child to say that, It's actually kind of funny. That's like me saying I could be an American if I wanted to be or I could be a Christian if I wanted to be. You are either an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe or you are not. And I have a friend in Denver who is a member of the northern Cherokee I believe they're called, and they are out of Missouri. But they are not federally recognized. But my friend still self-identifies as being part Cherokee.
I remember back when Dances with Wolves came out it was very popular for people to be searching their family trees. I work in a library and I remember being asked quite often by people asking how can they find out if they are eligible to become a member of a certain tribe. And I always told him call the tribe because there was no one answer.
I believe there are 45 or 48 federally recognized tribes here in Oklahoma.
Excellent post. Some tribes go by blood quantum, and others as was previously discussed have to have ancestors who were on the Dawes rolls. In order to become a member of my tribe you must be at least one quarter native. And a person cannot be enrolled in more than one tribe.
I have never heard of anyone saying they could be a member of X tribe if they wanted to be. That must have been a very young child to say that, It's actually kind of funny. That's like me saying I could be an American if I wanted to be or I could be a Christian if I wanted to be. You are either an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe or you are not. And I have a friend in Denver who is a member of the northern Cherokee I believe they're called, and they are out of Missouri. But they are not federally recognized. But my friend still self-identifies as being part Cherokee.
I remember back when Dances with Wolves came out it was very popular for people to be searching their family trees. I work in a library and I remember being asked quite often by people asking how can they find out if they are eligible to become a member of a certain tribe. And I always told him call the tribe because there was no one answer.
I believe there are 45 or 48 federally recognized tribes here in Oklahoma.
I just saw this.
I am NOT an enrolled member of the tribe. Thought I made it pretty clear that I'm not.
The Current Chief of the Cherokee Nation is Bill John Baker and he is only 1/32nd native american. Is this enough to really identity yourself as a native american?
If someone told you they were only 1/32nd native american but identified as a native american would you find that strange at all?
If the tribe accepts it then yes. Not anyone else's business.
Ok, so let’s just acknowledge that the Indians got screwed. That was then, and this is now. To my knowledge, there are no records to confirm Indian ancestry.
My BIL seems to think that his ancestors were part Indian, and his ancestry does go back far enough in North America, that it could be true.
Of course, his only motive was to get something for free from the government, but he was not able to prove it.
My feeling is, the Indian community needs to stop sitting around the reservation getting drunk, and get going, like everyone else who lives here had to.
Ok, so let’s just acknowledge that the Indians got screwed. That was then, and this is now. To my knowledge, there are no records to confirm Indian ancestry.
My BIL seems to think that his ancestors were part Indian, and his ancestry does go back far enough in North America, that it could be true.
Of course, his only motive was to get something for free from the government, but he was not able to prove it.
My feeling is, the Indian community needs to stop sitting around the reservation getting drunk, and get going, like everyone else who lives here had to.
There is a lot that you don't know. There ARE records that show lineage for some tribes. And surely you know not all Indians live on reservations let alone everyone sitting around getting drunk. That's a rather offensive thing to say.
My feeling is, the Indian community needs to stop sitting around the reservation getting drunk, and get going, like everyone else who lives here had to.
Well shoot, I suppose you'll be glad to know that my salmon processing crew is anything but laying up in the firewater right about now.
On the other hand, just about everyone I see panhandling — which is a lot these days — is a paleface and likely all hopped up on who knows what.
SMH. You'd think blatant racism would be disallowed in a genealogy forum.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 06-05-2023 at 11:31 PM..
My feeling is, the Indian community needs to stop sitting around the reservation getting drunk, and get going, like everyone else who lives here had to.
Where is "here?" I can't believe you wrote that. Tell it to the natives of Pine Ridge, Zuni and other compromised tribes and peoples who don't have the benefit of geographical resources and casinos.
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