You refer to a person who looks Indian and lives on a reservation who may not be tribally enrolled. I think that that person may claim to be Indian if they wish because, they would more than likely have "legitimate" blood ties to people on that reservation. But a person who feels an Indian calling and moves near or on a reservation and feels that they can help all the poor Indians because they have been visited by a dream spirit or something need to stop. Being raised as Indian in an Indian community and having known ties to tribal members is a far cry from folks raised as something other than Indian with no actually ties, no documentation, no history of Indian involvement, was never recognized by the surrounding community as Indian, have never been counted as Indian, and whose family members think that they are crazy for living in a fantasy world. The world is full of those people, and guess what, they are all going to list themselves as Indians. This upsets me. These new, so called Indians trying to save Native Americans from themselves. Those persons living out their Indian fantasies are trying to fill a void in their lives. Transforming ones self into an Indian "will not" fill that void. I have never had a problem with folks who are trying to find that Indian connection. I have a problem with people who try to push an Indian agenda and belong to no tribe whatsoever. Do not interfere in Indian politics if you are not a tribal member anywhere. Find your Indian connection before you attempt to affect Indian policy. Doug -----Original Message----- From: Wolfdrmer4@aol.com <Wolfdrmer4@aol.com> To: NATIVEAMERICAN-DELMARVA-L@rootsweb.com <NATIVEAMERICAN-DELMARVA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, February 18, 2000 12:57 PM Subject: re:census >Doug Patterson... <A HREF="http://www.census.gov/">US Census Bureau Home Page ></A> I took this from the website..www.census.gov...................-- >American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the >original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and >who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. > >1. Categories and Definitions > >The minimum categories for data on race and ethnicity for Federal statistics, >program administrative reporting, and civil rights compliance reporting are >defined as follows: > >-- American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the >original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and >who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. > >(If you notice, it says maintains community attachment also) >I was told during our seminar at the Denver Indian Center , by an official >census taker giving the seminar, Mary Red Shirt,...that this census is NOT >based on being enrolled in a tribe..it is strictly geographical....there are >many many Indians, who LOOK indian, who were raised INDIAN, who lived on the >reservations, who WERE NOT "enrolled" with their tribe...there was one young >lady who is genetically connected to five different tribes by family, who is >not enrolled with ANY tribe...is she to consider herself NOT indian???? as >for me and my boyfriend, David was adopted as a child, and after many years >of backbreaking research, just now HAS enrolled, this Saturday as a matter >of fact, with the Chiricahua Apache on the Mescalero Reservation..as head of >household, he can include me as an American Indian...but even if he couldnt, >i can prove my Blackfeet ancestry if need be...we were emphatically told by >Ms. Red Shirt that if the head of household registers as an American Indian, >everyone "in the household" can be counted at an American Indian...as for >being overcounted...that is ridiculous! just the opposite is true..in 1990, >Indians were grossly UNDERCOUNTED, and lost many benefits for housing, >medical care, and education...it is not a matter of collecting funds for >oneself by claiming to be indian...(to collect any sort of recompence or >money you MUST be enrolled...)the census is to COUNT American Indians as a >whole to determine the number of Representitives we have, to determine a >critiria for housing, medical and education help.. >as for me using the term "we"...I think anyone claiming to be Native American >should back this statement up by getting involved in Indian matters, and by >standing up to be counted as Native American..in other words...put your money >where your mouth is...respectfully...kris > > >============================== >Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: >Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. >http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/