How much native american blood do you have?

How do you determine how much Native American Blood you have?

• My Grandmother, her sister,and I are considering joining a tribe. My mother's mother, is part Cherokee- Her Father was half Cherokee and half African-American. He then married a ...show more

• Answer:

  The one thing YOU must be able to do is PROVE YOU descend from someone on the base roll of the tribe you are wanting to gain membership in. This is a requirement for ALL Federally Recognized Tribes or Nations. IE: For the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma you have to prove you descend from someone on the Dawes Roll. If you can't do that then forget it.....For the lets say Osage it would be the Osage Roll of 1906...etc etc. Each Federally Recognized Tribe or Nation has a base roll they go by to determine eligibility for membership. On top of that most require a minimum blood quantum too. The amount differs from "tribe" to "tribe", you would have to check with the specific tribe to find out what they require... Now figuring blood quantum....You have to start with someone whose blood quantum you know for sure. For the sake of auguement lets say your g-grandmother was full blooded. If her husband had no native blood then your grandmother would be 1/2 by blood quantum. If your grandmothers husband had no native blood then your mother would be 1/4 by blood quantum and if your dad has no native blood then you would be 1/8 by blood quantum. Now if any of the spouses had native blood you have to determine how much they had to figure the formula. In the case of both parents having native blood you add the 2 parents blood quantums together then divide by 2 IE: If one was full blooded and one was 1/2 add the two together which would be 150% divide by 2 and the children of this marriage would be 75% or 3/4 by blood quantum.... DNA testing CANNOT tell you, what your blood quantum of Native blood is. PERIOD! All DNA testing can tell you is if you have genetic markers in common with known Native American samples the testing facility has in it's data base. Just remember you may never be able to find the information you need for membership in any Federally Recognized Tribe. Remember also "It's not the quantity of Native blood you have running through your veins, it's the quality of it. Your pride in being a descendant of a rich and fullfilling culture and heritage.