A proposal by the Crow tribal chair could dramatically change who counts as a Crow tribal member under the “blood quantum” standard, a concept created by White settlers and rooted in assimilation tactics.
Blood quantum refers to the fractional amount of tribal affiliation in an individual’s ancestry. It is central to individual identity and highly controversial. Right now, according to the tribe’s enrollment policy, an individual must “possess one-quarter Crow Indian blood” to enroll as a member of the Crow Tribe. The proposed legislation from Chairman Frank Whiteclay would alter things so that all existing members would be considered as having 100% Crow “blood.” That would change the lives not just of the 14,289 enrolled Crow tribal members but also potentially thousands of descendants who would be more likely to qualify as tribal members and receive services.
Most tribes nationwide use blood quantum to determine eligibility for citizenship. And being an enrolled citizen of a tribe can make someone eligible for certain health care services and determine whether they can vote in tribal elections, access educational scholarships or inherit certain land. Tribal colleges must serve a certain number of enrolled tribal members to maintain their status. Tribal citizenship also influences a person’s sense of belonging.
Whiteclay, whose term as chairman ends in 2028, said he proposed the legislation to “break a cycle of lost enrollment” and improve the lives of members and descendants. He referred to the issue of blood quantum as “death by numbers.” With each new generation, and as tribal members marry non-Natives or people from other tribes, it becomes harder for the Crow Tribe, or any tribe using blood quantum, to maintain its membership. Whiteclay said when he took office as chairman in 2020, the tribe had about 14,600 members. Five years later, that number has declined by at least 311 people.
The proposed legislation will also address several other issues for community members. Tribal Secretary Levi Black Eagle noted that the act isn’t a perfect solution to the generations-long blood quantum conundrum but aims to flex tribal sovereignty within the parameters set by the United States government.
As discussions progress, the impact of this proposal on tribal identity and resource allocation remains a subject of vibrant debate within and beyond the Crow community, reflecting a broader discourse around citizenship and community within Native American tribes.
