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Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections
Methodology Report
M A Y
2 0 1 4
Prepared by:
Nicole MartinRogers, Ph.D., and Tom Gillaspy, Ph.D. (consultant)
451 Lexington Parkway North | Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
651-280-2700 | www.wilderresearch.org
Wilder
Research
Information. Insight. Impact.
Contents
Background ......................................................................................................................... 1
Study methodology ............................................................................................................. 2
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe member survey ................................................................... 2
Population projection methods ....................................................................................... 4
Results of the population projections ................................................................................ 12
Key findings .................................................................................................................. 12
Results: Scenario 1........................................................................................................ 14
Results: Scenario 2........................................................................................................ 15
Results: Scenario 3........................................................................................................ 17
Results: Scenario 4........................................................................................................ 19
Results: Scenario 5........................................................................................................ 21
Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 24
Survey instrument ......................................................................................................... 25
Codebook ...................................................................................................................... 31
Respondents’ open-ended comments to the final question on the survey .................... 34
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
Wilder Research, May 2014
Acknowledgments
Wilder Research would like to thank the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and especially Joel
Smith, Brian Brunelle, Gary Frazer, and Mary Reich for their assistance and guidance for
this project. We would also like to thank the tribal leaders, the staff of the six Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe Bands, including Wayne Dupuis from Fond du Lac who served on the
Constitutional Reform Subcommittee for MCT, and others for their help in designing and
pre-testing the survey. Finally, much appreciation goes to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
members who gave their time and offered their input by participating in the survey that
was used, in part, to produce population projections.
This study was supported with generous funding from the Bush Foundation as a part of
their Native Nations program.
The following Wilder Research staff contributed to the completion of this study:
Mark Anton
Jennifer Bohlke
Cheryl Bourgeois
Rena Cleveland
Marilyn Conrad
Phil Cooper
Janell Felker
Sarah Gehrig
Heather Johnson
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
Muneer Karcher-Ramos
Margaree Levy
Leonard Major
Ryan McArdle
Ron Mortenson
Margaret Peterson
Miguel Salazar
Abby Struck
Dan Swanson
Lue Thao
Wilder Research, May 2014
Background
In 2012-2013, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) contracted with Wilder Research to
conduct a study and produce population projections for MCT and its six member Bands:
Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, and White Earth. In
2014, Wilder Research was again contracted to update the original projections and to add
another enrollment criteria scenario, lineal descent. There is significant concern among MCT
members and leadership about the extent to which the MCT population is shrinking. The
purpose of this study is to help MCT and its member Bands and individual members better
understand population trends, and specifically understand the tribe’s population trajectory
under the current tribal membership criteria and alternative scenarios.
Population projections through the year 2098 were completed for MCT overall and for
each of the six Bands under four different scenarios for changing the tribal enrollment
criteria, and also projects the MCT population if the current enrollment criteria is
maintained. This report describes the study methods and detailed results of the original
and updated population projections completed by Wilder Research and Gillaspy
Demographics. We addressed the following research questions:
What size will the population of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe be now and through
the end of this century if the current tribal enrollment eligibility criteria (1/4 blood
quantum of MCT blood, scenario 1) is maintained?
What would the size of the MCT population be from now through the end of this
century if the tribal enrollment eligibility criteria were changed to allow other
Chippewa/Ojibwe blood from non-MCT federally recognized tribes and Canadian
First Nations to count toward the requirement of 1/4 blood quantum (scenario 2)?
What would the size of the MCT population be from now through the end of this
century if the tribal enrollment eligibility criteria were changed to allow blood from
any federally recognized American Indian tribe or Canadian First Nation to count
toward the requirement of 1/4 blood quantum (scenario 3)?
What would the size of the MCT population be from now through the end of this
century if the tribal enrollment eligibility criteria were changed to allow 1/8 blood
quantum from MCT (scenario 4)?
What would the size of the MCT population be from now through the end of this
century if the tribal enrollment eligibility criteria were changed to allow any lineal
descendant from the original 1941 MCT base rolls (scenario 5)?
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Study methodology
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe member survey
Wilder Research conducted a Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) member survey that
included over 100 Band members from each of the six Bands. This survey was used to
understand the extent to which MCT members have non-MCT American Indian and/or
Canadian First Nations blood, in themselves and in their children.
Survey instrument design
Wilder Research developed the survey instrument in partnership with MCT to address the
key research questions. The survey included questions about MCT members’ blood quantum
for MCT, other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes, and any other federally recognized American Indian
tribes and/or Canadian First Nations. The survey also asked MCT members about their
biological children’s blood quantum for MCT, other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes, and any other
federally recognized American Indian tribes and/or Canadian First Nations. Wilder developed
a paper and web version of the survey. See the Appendix for the survey instrument.
Pre-test
In order to be sure the survey instrument (web and paper versions) was working properly,
that the questions were clear and acceptable to respondents, and to assess the degree to
which MCT members can accurately report their own and their children’s blood quantum,
Wilder Research completed a pre-test with 46 MCT members, most of whom are staff of
MCT or one of the six Bands’ enrollment offices.
Wilder Research compared survey respondents’ self-reported blood quantum and that of
their children against official MCT records and determined that most MCT members
reported their blood quantum very accurately. In the pre-test, 36 of 46 pre-test respondents
reported their MCT blood quantum exactly the same as the official MCT record. In 8 of
the 10 cases where pre-test respondents mis-reported their blood quantum, their error was
within 1/8 of the official blood quantum, and in the other two cases the respondent did
not fill in the numerator of the fraction (i.e., missing data).
Sample
A sample of 3,206 MCT members was randomly selected by Wilder Research to participate
in the full survey. Random selection was used to ensure that the survey respondents are
statistically representative of the overall adult population of MCT. Overall, 785 MCT
members completed the survey through the random sampling process.
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In addition, the survey was advertised by MCT on their website and in the Bands’ local
newspapers, including providing a link to the web survey and offering to send paper
copies of the survey. A total of 59 MCT members completed the survey using this option.
Data collection
Survey data collection was completed between December 2012 and May 2013. All of the
originally sampled MCT members were sent an initial invitation letter telling them about this
survey and asking them to complete the survey by following a URL link to the survey. The
letter also included a unique password for each sampled Band member (that was linked to
their official tribal enrollment ID number), and a toll-free number to call Wilder Research and
complete the survey over the phone. These originally sampled MCT members who did not
complete the survey were sent a reminder post card that also included the same information as
the letter. All originally sampled MCT members who still did not complete the survey
were sent a final invitation letter along with a paper copy of the survey and a postage-paid
return envelope.
Wilder had to add more sample for Bois Forte and Mille Lacs to reach the target of at least
100 completed surveys from the random sample from each Band – these additional members
that were sampled later just received an initial survey packet with the paper survey enclosed
and a follow-up/reminder phone calls from Wilder Research.
MCT secured several prizes that were used as incentives to complete the survey, including
play-and-stay packages at each of the bands’ casinos. The prize drawings were held and prizes
were distributed in August 2013.
Completed surveys
Overall, 785 MCT members completed the survey. See Figure 1 for more information.
1.
Final number of completed surveys
Number
sampled
Number
sampled who
completed
survey
Number who
opted in
Total number
of completed
surveys
Bois Forte
432
106
6
112
Fond du Lac
400
109
13
122
Grand Portage
400
172
3
175
Leech Lake
400
112
14
126
Mille Lacs
1,174
103
6
109
White Earth
400
124
17
141
MCT total
3,206
726
59
785
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Data cleaning
Wilder Research checked all surveys for completion and accuracy. Survey data were entered
into data analysis software, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), for further
analysis and verification. Quality control checks were completed on all variables. In some
cases, the MCT population records were used to verify official blood quantum and other
variables. (We used the MCT blood quantum from MCT records rather than the blood
quantum they self-reported on the survey in cases where these numbers did not match.) If a
member child’s MCT blood quantum was missing on the survey, we used the blood quantum
from MCT records when possible, by matching on the child’s name.
Coding was completed to categorize responses to the final open-ended question. See the
Appendix for the codebook and the responses given by the MCT members who were
surveyed.
Population projection methods
Wilder Research worked with Gillaspy Demographics (Tom Gillaspy, independent consultant)
to complete these population projections for MCT. Dr. Gillaspy has extensive experience
projecting populations. He served as Minnesota’s State Demographer for 33 years.
Projections were made for MCT and each of the six Bands for the period of 2013 through
2098. The projections were made using a cohort component method in which the population
of MCT for 2013 was adjusted for births and deaths. (Normally, the cohort component
method would also account for migration; however, in this case migration is not a
component since the population is based upon tribal enrollment, not location.) Since the
population for each of the six Bands was projected using the same survival and fertility
rates, differences in projected population by the year 2098 depend on the starting (2013)
age and gender profile of the enrolled membership. Baseline population data was provided
by the MCT enrollment office.
Mortality component
The 2013 MCT population was aged by five-year cohort into the future using survival
ratios based upon life table computations. Since a life table for MCT was not available,
a life table was estimated using the most recent and relevant mortality data available.
The basic life table for MCT was estimated using mortality characteristics of northern
Minnesota counties for the American Indian population during the period 2002 to 2010.
This life table resulted in an expectation of life for males at birth of 69.66 years and for
females of 74.91 years. These results were compared against 2002 results for Canadian
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First Nations population from Statistics Canada. In general, the northern Minnesota
counties had similar mortality characteristics to that of the Canadian First Nations in
2002. (Infant mortality was somewhat lower for Canadian First Nations, especially for
males, but this could be due to random variation in the smaller population base in northern
Minnesota. The mortality rate for American Indians age 45+ was lower in northern
Minnesota than for Canadian First Nations. So, although these rates are similar, differences
in timing, population size, and the impact of random variation in such a small population
can have an impact on the overall mortality rates.)
The survival ratios uses in the projections are shown in Figure 2, with intervening years
interpolated. Based on the starting point life table and the 2063 target survival ratios
developed from the United Nations’ model life tables selected using U.S. Census Bureau
life expectancy targets for American Indian from their most recent round of national
projections, all of the intervening years of survival ratios were filled in by using a straight
line interpolation (a constant percent change in the survival ratio) to equal the 2063 target
numbers.
2.
Survival ratios used in MCT population projections
Female
Male
2013
2063
2013
2063
Birth
0.9794
0.981031
0.9631
0.96781
0-4
0.99231
0.993435
0.98976
0.991441
5-9
0.998821
0.998945
0.998474
0.998647
10-14
0.999395
0.99941
0.999302
0.999281
15-19
0.999314
0.999303
0.999038
0.998975
20-24
0.995979
0.996585
0.985932
0.988411
25-29
0.993894
0.994853
0.984939
0.987558
30-34
0.991866
0.993133
0.98497
0.987455
35-39
0.989845
0.991345
0.984995
0.987199
40-44
0.984231
0.986576
0.97857
0.981555
45-49
0.978645
0.981656
0.972197
0.975525
50-54
0.973021
0.976422
0.960896
0.964856
55-59
0.967437
0.970744
0.949713
0.953216
60-64
0.954773
0.958259
0.920124
0.925113
65-69
0.94228
0.943851
0.891413
0.895118
70-74
0.890233
0.895131
0.851657
0.852661
75-79
0.840913
0.843417
0.776128
0.776128
80-84
0.7108
0.720106
0.6371
0.641355
85+
0.4727
0.4727
0.4363
0.44298
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Survival ratios were computed from the life table calculations for five-year age sex groups.
Survival ratios were increased to account for increased longevity that is expected in the
future. The U.S. Census Bureau, in their latest projections made in 2012, assumes a 2060
life expectancy for American Indian males nationally of 80.4 years at birth, and for
females it is projected to be 84.7 years at birth. For purposes of the MCT projections, we
assumed a 2063 life expectancy at birth for males of 80 years and life expectancy at birth
for females of 85 years. With these targets, we used the United Nations’ general model
abridged life tables and interpolated the changes in survivor ratios by five-year age sex group
to increase survivor ratios from 2013 to 2063 and then held constant from 2063 to 2098.
Fertility component
The basic fertility rate calculation for MCT was made using birthrate information from
the Minnesota Department of Health for the years of 2007 to 2010 by age of mother, for
American Indian mothers. These birthrates by five-year age group resulted in a total fertility
rate of 2.54. For Minnesota, this compares fairly closely with the results of fertility rates
for Canadian First Nations in 2002 from Statistics Canada. Figure 3 shows the age specific
fertility rates per 1000 women.
3.
Age-specific fertility rates used for MCT population projections
Age of Mom
Rate Per 1,000
15-19
74.22
20-24
170.75
25-29
130.21
30-34
79.67
35-39
42.41
40-44
10.8
The most recent Census Bureau projections for the U.S. population projects a total fertility
rate for American Indians of 2.22 in 2013 and 2.02 in 2058. That translates to a drop in
fertility rate of approximately 1 percent every five years from now through 2058. Although
MCT has a slightly higher starting fertility rate of 2.54, we assumed the same rate of
decline in fertility rate between now and 2063 as what is projected for the U.S. as a whole,
resulting in a MCT assumed fertility rate in 2063 of 2.2974 and then constant thereafter
until 2098.
Births were proportionally allocated to 51 percent male and 49 percent female,
approximating the current proportional ratio of births by gender.
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Fertility adjustment
The population projection for MCT contains the elements of enrollment eligibility as well
as births and deaths. The enrollment eligibility criteria were incorporated into the model
by applying a proportional factor to the fertility component. Population projections were
computed for MCT overall and for each of the six Bands, under the four scenarios for
blood quantum, for 2013 through 2098. (No fertility adjustment is needed for scenario 5,
lineal descent, which is not based on blood quantum.)
The proportional factors were determined by means of the MCT member survey described
above, using the data from MCT women who participated and their children. Missing
data required close inspection of the survey results. For many children, both MCT
enrollment and blood quantum were reported. For some, the child was indicated as an
enrolled member of MCT but blood quantum was not reported. These children were
assigned a blood quantum of 1/4. That resolved most of the cases of missing data, but
not all. Remaining cases were assigned a blood quantum value of half (50%) of the
mother’s blood quantum. Similar assignments were made for non MCT Chippewa/
Ojibwe blood quantum and for non-Chippewa blood quantum. By these means, all of the
children were assigned blood quantum values. Figure 4 shows the percent of children
born to mothers who are MCT members who are eligible for tribal enrollment under each
of the scenarios under consideration. For example, for scenario 1, 48.6 percent of the
children born to members have an MCT blood quantum of 1/4 or more. These factors
were multiplied by the age specific fertility rates, resulting in an enrollment membership
adjusted fertility rate.
4.
Fertility adjustment factors used to estimate percent of children born to
mothers who are MCT members who would be eligible for MCT tribal
enrollment under the scenarios under consideration
Scenario 1 (MCT blood quantum at least 1/4)
.486034
Scenario 2 (MCT plus other Chippewa at least 1/4)
.533708
Scenario 3 (MCT plus other Chippewa plus non-Chippewa at least 1/4)
.573034
Scenario 4 (MCT blood quantum at least 1/8)
.659218
Adjustment for additional number of people who are currently alive who would
be eligible to be enrolled under enrollment criteria changes for scenarios 1-4
(NEW, May 2014)
The previously described steps were completed during the first phase of the study. One
objective of the second phase of the study was to calculate the number of currently living
individuals who would be eligible to become enrolled in MCT if the enrollment criteria
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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were to be changed. Adding in these individuals to the “base population” provides a more
accurate starting population size that was then used to project the future population under
scenarios 1-4.
The following steps were used to establish the new base populations for each Band and
MCT overall:
1. The current enrolled population in the various Chippewa bands in the U.S. is 188,795.
2. The U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 2010-12) shows 117,149
people in the United States who are single race American Indian with designated tribe
of Chippewa. We assumed they are all enrolled.
3. That still leaves a substantial number of enrolled people who do not claim single race.
(The U.S. Census Bureau does not collect tribe identification for people identify as
more than one race.)
4. Most people who identify as Chippewa live in the five-state area of Montana, North
Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Chippewa people account for 51.6%
of the total number of American Indians who were designated as tribal enrollees in
the five states.
5. In the five-state area, there are 194,047 people who are more than one race, of which
American Indian is one race.
6. Multiply this multi-race population by the percent of Chippewa to total population of
American Indians who have a designated tribe found in #4 to yield 100,097 people.
7. We estimated that 71,646 of these people are enrolled members. This leaves 28,451
people who are multi-race American Indian with some relationship to Chippewa who
live in the five-state area and who are not enrolled members.
8. Not all of these people would be eligible for enrollment in MCT, even under the
possible changes to the enrollment criteria. Therefore, for scenarios 2 and 3 we
applied an arbitrary proportion of 50% who may be eligible to be enrolled in MCT.
9. For scenario 4, we set a higher starting population for the addition at 75% of the
potential population, rather than 50% of the potential population. However, since that
additional population also includes many people with more remote connections to
MCT, we used a more constrained fertility rate. Also, for scenario 4 we used the
proportion of total MCT members in each Band as of 2013 and estimated this same
proportion would hold through the century, rather than estimating the projections
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based on age and gender for each Band individually, since adequate data are not
available to complete projections at this level.
10. We assumed the age and sex distribution of the total multi-race American Indian
population of the five-state area to establish the starting point for the
projections. This population is somewhat younger than the current enrolled
population of MCT.
The base population was also adjusted for potential enrollment from Canadian First
Nations populations, as follows:
1. The 2006 (most recent) Canadian Census shows 24,190 people with a mother tongue
of Ojibway (which is the best way to estimate the population, since Canada uses
language to measure tribal affiliation).
2. 17,390 of these people live on reserves. We assume they are enrolled. (We could not
find any information on tribal enrollment for Canadian First Nations tribes.)
3. Subtracting #2 from #1, we are left with 6,800 people.
4. Again, we assumed a factor of 50% for potential eligibility to enroll in MCT.
5. We assumed the same age/sex distribution as for the U.S. based population.
The results of these adjustments to the base population of MCT are reflected as possible
ranges (the known starting population in 2014 based on current enrollment at the low end
ranging up to the highest possible base population using the steps described above),
because we know that not all people who are alive today who would become eligible for
enrollment in MCT if the criteria were to be changed would actually enroll themselves,
and certainly not all would enroll immediately. Therefore, these adjusted estimates
should be interpreted as the top end of the possible range in population size that could be
observed if the enrollment criteria were to be changed.
Lineal descent projections (scenario 5) – NEW, May 2014
In the second phase of this study, projections based on an additional enrollment criteria
scenario using lineal descent (scenario 5) were completed. These projections used
different methods. We completed the following steps to project the population of MCT
under the scenario of lineal descent:
1. We used life expectancy at birth and age 65 from the U.S. CDC historical records for
American Indian (and when not available for non-white race) and using the United
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Nations’ model life tables for the general population, we identified matching survival
ratios for men and women from 1940 to 2014.
2. We used CDC historical records for American Indian fertility by age of mother with
the final date of 2012 actual results, interpolating for missing years.
3. We adjusted the childbearing pool for American Indian men marrying women of
other races. Four data points are available (1960, 1970, 1980, and 2011). Other years
were interpolated based on trends in all interracial marriages.
4. We estimated the MCT population to 2014 from the 1941 base roll by age and gender.
5. Starting with the 2014 lineal descent population estimate from base roll data, we used
the same survival ratios as in previous projections to project the population out to 2100.
6. We also assumed the male intermarriage rate is constant at the 2011 level of 56%.
This number has not changed appreciably since 1980. Prior to 1980, the rate
increased rapidly.
There are two very divergent projected fertility rates that are possible for this population.
Recent trends in fertility have been heavily influenced by events since 2000 (9/11, the
recession, a relatively poor housing and job market, etc.) and are rather low right now for
U.S. standards (though not by some international standards). The U.S. Census Bureau in
its most recent round of projections estimated fertility rates rebounding to approximately
replacement level of a total fertility rate about 2.1 to 2.2 for American Indians and about
1.96 for the total U.S. population, which is much higher than the rates of 1.345 for
American Indians and 1.88 for the overall population that were actually observed during
2012. These differences in projected fertility rates can make a big difference in the total
population size after 85 years.
Projections to 2100 using a lower fertility rate
1. We started with the official 2012 CDC fertility rates by age. This is a bit higher than
in the previous projections but is still relatively low, with a Total Fertility Rate of
1.345.
2. We estimated a declining fertility rate annually to 2065 as per the 2010 U.S. Census
projection series.
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Projections to 2100 using a higher fertility rate
1. Fertility over the past 15 or so year has fallen dramatically, especially as the result of
the recession, slow recovery and related issues. Because these recent trends are
assumed to be a divergence from the pattern that will be observed going forward,
these higher projections raises current fertility levels to the revised 2012 U.S. Census
Bureau’s projection of American Indian fertility by 2030.
2. We started with a Total Fertility Rate of 1.345 in 2015, raised it to 1.58 by 2020,
raised it to 1.81 in 2025, raised it to 2.05 by 2030, and hold it constant after that.
We believe there will be a rebound in the fertility rates of the American Indian and overall
U.S. population, and that the higher projection is closer to being realistic. (The two series
begin to separate substantially after about 2040.)
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Results of the population projections
The main findings from the population projections are shown in the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe Population Projections Summary Report (May 2014). The following points summarize
the key results from this study.
Key findings
The overall population of MCT and each of the Bands is declining significantly under
the current enrollment criteria (1/4 MCT blood quantum, scenario 1).
This population decline will also be accompanied by a substantial aging of the
population. Nearly half of MCT members will be age 65+ by the later part of this
century (under scenario 1), compared with just over 10% in 2013. This significant
aging of the population will have a profound impact on the characteristics and
operations (i.e., member programming and service needs) of MCT.
All of the scenarios using 1/4 blood quantum (scenarios 1, 2, and 3) will result in
steep population declines over the remainder of this century.
The adjusted fertility rate for the population is low (1.235 children per woman’s
lifetime) under the current enrollment criteria. A fertility rate of approximately 2.1 or
higher (or other changes to the enrollment criteria) is needed to maintain or increase
population size.
The scenario using 1/8 blood quantum (scenario 4) results in initial increases in
population size and projections that the population size will remain relatively constant
or decline somewhat through the end of this century.
The scenario using lineal descent (scenario 5) results in a significant initial increase
in population size (the 2015 population is estimated to be around 63,000) and
projections that the population could range anywhere from just over 120,000 to over
200,000 (more likely) by the end of the century.
The last question on the MCT member survey asked members if they had any comments
about MCT’s current enrollment criteria or any other comments about tribal enrollment.
Overall, 484 comments were provided. All of these comments can be found in the Appendix.
A total of 73 MCT members made comments suggesting that the blood quantum criteria
should be lowered. Here are a few examples of their comments.
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1/4 is too high for a minimum qualification and should be lower to 1/32 or less. All those
on the rolls and their immediate descendants should be recognized and afforded benefits
regardless of where they live.
I would like for it to be dropped down to 1/8 so that the tribe can grow. And so my
children can become enrolled.
I just wish they could lower the blood quantum so I can enroll my children. They are
Indian, they look Indian, they breathe Indian… When I die and I'm 55, the blood line stops
with me. My brothers and sisters are in the same situation with their own children.
A total of 41 MCT members made comments suggesting that the current blood quantum
criteria should be maintained by MCT. Here are a few examples of their comments.
I've never had any problems with tribal enrollment. They should just leave it at 1/4. I saw
something on the news today about White Earth trying to change something. That's just
my two cents.
I like it the way it is. It [eligibility criteria] should stay closed, not open like the Cherokee
have done. They have too many people enrolled now and don't take care of their people
like we do.
I think the blood quantum should stay at one quarter and nothing less!
A total of 39 MCT members made comments suggesting that the blood quantum criteria
should be based on lineal descent or a similar approach. Here are a few examples of their
comments.
Our ancestors were taken advantage of and I feel we have a right to be a part of the tribe.
We are descendants and it does not matter what our blood quantum is -- we are members
of the tribe.
I highly disagree with the MCT blood quantum criteria of 1/4. I believe tribal enrollment
should be established by proven blood relation and hereditary.
The criteria is a form of generational genocide. It shouldn't matter HOW much Native
blood one holds, it should only matter that they are Native!
Many other members made specific comments about their families, especially related to
frustration that their children and/or grandchildren cannot be enrolled. Here are a few of
those comments.
This has been an ongoing issue as to non-inclusion of any other acceptance of blood
within MCT, etc. I want my 3 children enrolled along with my grandchildren…When the
parents (biological) are the same for all their children, and due to DOB (1961?) cut-off
year, the younger sibling(s) can't be enrolled but their sibling is.
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Unable to enroll my daughters, grandchildren or great-grandchildren due to present
policies. I am anxious to see this change in the future.
My father was born in Grand Portage in 1916. I was living in grand Portage in 1941. My
children are not eligible to partake of their heritage, yet children who were born after them
are members of the Grand Portage band. My family has been in Grand Portage for over
100 years and my family ties to Grand Portage will end with my demise! IS THIS FAIR!?!
Results: Scenario 1
Keep the tribal enrollment criteria the same – 1/4 MCT blood quantum.
Figure 5 shows the results of the population projections under this scenario.
5.
Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 1
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
41,110
3,375
4,226
1,113
9,244
4,406
18,746
2018
40,633
3,440
4,165
1,069
9,434
4,555
17,971
2023
39,700
3,475
4,067
1,008
9,508
4,683
16,959
2028
38,232
3,474
3,932
933
9,432
4,775
15,686
2033
36,192
3,423
3,741
845
9,206
4,798
14,179
2038
33,723
3,328
3,497
745
8,884
4,756
12,513
2043
30,964
3,196
3,221
640
8,473
4,657
10,777
2048
28,142
3,034
2,941
542
7,983
4,508
9,133
2053
25,539
2,856
2,683
460
7,439
4,322
7,779
2058
23,245
2,674
2,458
393
6,874
4,106
6,741
2063
21,134
2,484
2,253
338
6,304
3,865
5,890
2068
19,089
2,281
2,051
291
5,711
3,601
5,154
2073
17,115
2,071
1,853
250
5,113
3,319
4,509
2078
15,214
1,857
1,663
214
4,526
3,024
3,930
2083
13,463
1,652
1,485
185
3,987
2,726
3,427
2088
11,918
1,470
1,324
162
3,518
2,437
3,008
2093
10,546
1,302
1,174
143
3,109
2,162
2,656
2098
8,993
1,109
995
120
2,663
1,835
2,271
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Results: Scenario 2
Change the tribal enrollment criteria by making enrollment eligibility 1/4 blood quantum
including MCT and other Chippewa/Ojibwe federally recognized American Indian or
Canadian First Nations tribes.
Figure 6a shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming the
base population is the current MCT population (i.e., no one who is currently alive today
would become enrolled even if the enrollment criteria were to be changed).
6a. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 2 assuming the
current base population
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
41,110
3,375
4,226
1,113
9,244
4,406
18,746
2018
40,773
3,455
4,178
1,071
9,478
4,578
18,012
2023
39,964
3,506
4,093
1,011
9,592
4,729
17,033
2028
38,603
3,518
3,970
938
9,547
4,844
15,786
2033
36,662
3,479
3,790
851
9,350
4,888
14,303
2038
34,312
3,400
3,559
753
9,064
4,869
12,668
2043
31,682
3,282
3,296
650
8,692
4,796
10,966
2048
28,985
3,136
3,030
553
8,240
4,671
9,355
2053
26,502
2,972
2,785
472
7,732
4,510
8,031
2058
24,322
2,804
2,573
407
7,199
4,316
7,022
2063
22,319
2,628
2,379
354
6,662
4,097
6,198
2068
20,375
2,438
2,188
308
6,100
3,854
5,488
2073
18,495
2,239
2,001
268
5,530
3,591
4,867
2078
16,677
2,035
1,819
234
4,967
3,312
4,309
2083
14,997
1,840
1,650
205
4,450
3,029
3,824
2088
13,510
1,664
1,495
183
3,997
2,752
3,419
2093
12,180
1,502
1,350
164
3,600
2,486
3,077
2098
10,625
1,309
1,172
142
3,152
2,160
2,691
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Figure 6b shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming
the base population is adjusted to include individuals who are currently alive who may
become eligible for enrollment in MCT if the enrollment criteria were to be changed.
6b. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 2 assuming a
base population that includes everyone currently alive who would become
eligible to enroll
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
58,438
4,798
6,007
1,582
13,140
6,263
26,648
2018
58,726
4,977
6,018
1,543
13,652
6,594
25,943
2023
58,509
5,133
5,992
1,480
14,043
6,923
24,937
2028
57,625
5,252
5,926
1,399
14,251
7,231
23,564
2033
55,920
5,307
5,781
1,298
14,262
7,456
21,817
2038
53,555
5,306
5,555
1,175
14,147
7,600
19,773
2043
50,717
5,254
5,277
1,040
13,914
7,677
17,555
2048
47,663
5,157
4,982
909
13,550
7,682
15,383
2053
44,705
5,014
4,698
797
13,042
7,607
13,547
2058
41,949
4,837
4,437
703
12,417
7,444
12,111
2063
39,268
4,624
4,185
623
11,721
7,209
10,905
2068
36,526
4,370
3,923
551
10,935
6,908
9,838
2073
33,752
4,085
3,652
489
10,091
6,553
8,882
2078
30,921
3,774
3,373
434
9,210
6,142
7,989
2083
28,101
3,447
3,091
385
8,337
5,675
7,165
2088
25,418
3,130
2,813
344
7,520
5,178
6,433
2093
22,934
2,828
2,542
309
6,778
4,682
5,795
2098
19,934
2,456
2,198
266
5,914
4,052
5,048
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Results: Scenario 3
Change the tribal enrollment criteria by making enrollment eligibility 1/4 blood quantum
including MCT and any other federally recognized American Indian or Canadian First
Nations tribes.
Figure 7a shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming the
base population is the current MCT population (i.e., no one who is currently alive today
would become enrolled even if the enrollment criteria were to be changed).
7a. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 3 assuming the
current base population
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
41,110
3,375
4,226
1,113
9,244
4,406
18,746
2018
40,888
3,469
4,189
1,073
9,515
4,598
18,046
2023
40,183
3,531
4,114
1,014
9,661
4,767
17,095
2028
38,910
3,555
4,001
942
9,642
4,901
15,869
2033
37,051
3,526
3,830
856
9,469
4,963
14,406
2038
34,805
3,459
3,610
759
9,214
4,964
12,799
2043
32,289
3,356
3,360
658
8,877
4,912
11,127
2048
29,705
3,223
3,106
563
8,459
4,810
9,544
2053
27,330
3,073
2,872
483
7,983
4,670
8,248
2058
25,255
2,917
2,672
420
7,482
4,498
7,266
2063
23,355
2,754
2,489
368
6,975
4,300
6,468
2068
21,510
2,576
2,309
323
6,443
4,076
5,783
2073
19,721
2,388
2,132
284
5,900
3,832
5,186
2078
17,988
2,195
1,960
251
5,363
3,570
4,649
2083
16,383
2,009
1,798
224
4,867
3,302
4,183
2088
14,961
1,841
1,651
202
4,434
3,039
3,795
2093
13,681
1,685
1,512
184
4,051
2,784
3,465
2098
12,141
1,494
1,335
162
3,608
2,461
3,081
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Figure 7b shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming
the base population is adjusted to include individuals who are currently alive who may
become eligible for enrollment in MCT if the enrollment criteria were to be changed.
7b. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 3 assuming a
base population that includes everyone currently alive who would become
eligible to enroll
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
58,438
4,798
6,007
1,582
13,140
6,263
26,648
2018
58,748
4,984
6,018
1,541
13,671
6,606
25,928
2023
58,536
5,144
5,993
1,477
14,074
6,945
24,903
2028
57,644
5,267
5,928
1,395
14,284
7,261
23,509
2033
55,930
5,323
5,782
1,292
14,294
7,492
21,747
2038
53,570
5,324
5,557
1,169
14,182
7,640
19,699
2043
50,742
5,273
5,280
1,034
13,950
7,719
17,485
2048
47,693
5,175
4,986
903
13,582
7,723
15,324
2053
44,740
5,030
4,702
791
13,068
7,646
13,502
2058
41,991
4,851
4,442
698
12,441
7,479
12,080
2063
39,318
4,637
4,190
619
11,743
7,239
10,890
2068
36,587
4,381
3,928
549
10,959
6,933
9,837
2073
33,824
4,095
3,657
487
10,119
6,572
8,894
2078
31,004
3,783
3,378
433
9,244
6,154
8,013
2083
28,196
3,457
3,095
385
8,377
5,683
7,199
2088
25,525
3,141
2,817
345
7,565
5,185
6,474
2093
23,053
2,839
2,547
310
6,827
4,691
5,839
2098
20,063
2,469
2,207
268
5,962
4,066
5,091
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Results: Scenario 4
Change the tribal enrollment criteria by making enrollment eligibility 1/8 blood quantum
including MCT blood only.
Figure 8a shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming the
base population is the current MCT population (i.e., no one who is currently alive today
would become enrolled even if the enrollment criteria were to be changed).
8a. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 4 assuming the
current base population
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
41,110
3,375
4,226
1,113
9,244
4,406
18,746
2018
42,143
3,611
4,307
1,091
9,915
4,806
18,412
2023
42,554
3,807
4,344
1,046
10,411
5,184
17,762
2028
42,233
3,952
4,339
985
10,672
5,520
16,765
2033
41,382
4,048
4,281
913
10,794
5,791
15,554
2038
40,586
4,154
4,212
837
10,982
6,065
14,336
2043
39,764
4,253
4,137
758
11,166
6,334
13,117
2048
38,924
4,334
4,068
685
11,275
6,575
11,986
2053
38,349
4,404
4,030
630
11,339
6,795
11,151
2058
38,209
4,485
4,037
592
11,421
7,005
10,669
2063
38,385
4,574
4,077
568
11,540
7,214
10,412
2068
38,705
4,659
4,129
551
11,661
7,416
10,289
2073
39,147
4,743
4,191
542
11,790
7,613
10,267
2078
39,680
4,827
4,263
539
11,934
7,801
10,315
2083
40,382
4,923
4,351
542
12,132
7,991
10,443
2088
41,286
5,039
4,454
552
12,397
8,190
10,654
2093
42,305
5,165
4,564
564
12,704
8,393
10,915
2098
42,663
5,208
4,596
567
12,826
8,454
11,012
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Figure 8b shows the results of the population projections under this scenario assuming
the base population is adjusted to include individuals who are currently alive who may
become eligible for enrollment in MCT if the enrollment criteria were to be changed.
8b. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 4 assuming a
base population that includes everyone currently alive who would become
eligible to enroll
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2013
65,432
5,372
6,726
1,771
14,713
7,013
29,837
2018
67,211
5,759
6,869
1,740
15,813
7,665
29,364
2023
68,315
6,112
6,974
1,679
16,714
8,322
28,515
2028
68,528
6,413
7,041
1,598
17,317
8,957
27,203
2033
67,879
6,640
7,022
1,498
17,705
9,499
25,513
2038
66,924
6,850
6,945
1,380
18,109
10,001
23,639
2043
65,663
7,023
6,832
1,252
18,439
10,459
21,660
2048
64,172
7,145
6,707
1,129
18,589
10,840
19,761
2053
62,785
7,210
6,598
1,031
18,564
11,125
18,256
2058
61,699
7,242
6,519
956
18,442
11,312
17,228
2063
60,791
7,244
6,457
900
18,276
11,425
16,490
2068
59,867
7,206
6,387
852
18,037
11,471
15,915
2073
58,941
7,141
6,310
816
17,751
11,462
15,458
2078
57,950
7,050
6,226
787
17,429
11,393
15,064
2083
56,962
6,944
6,137
765
17,113
11,272
14,731
2088
56,114
6,849
6,054
750
16,849
11,131
14,480
2093
55,459
6,771
5,983
739
16,654
11,003
14,309
2098
53,781
6,565
5,794
715
16,168
10,657
13,882
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Results: Scenario 5
Change the tribal enrollment criteria by making enrollment eligibility based in lineal
descent from a member of the 1941 MCT base roll.
Figure 9a shows the results of the population projections from 1941 to the present using
lineal descent as the enrollment criteria.
9a. Detailed population estimates from 1941 to present for MCT under
scenario 5
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
1941
13,661
710
1,376
391
2,191
364
8,629
1945
16,895
840
1,733
532
2,744
427
10,619
1950
19,648
965
2,004
628
3,170
509
12,371
1955
21,591
1,084
2,137
688
3,467
611
13,605
1960
23,371
1,218
2,226
739
3,804
708
14,677
1965
25,160
1,331
2,362
801
4,155
770
15,742
1970
28,403
1,496
2,680
921
4,691
855
17,760
1975
31,633
1,662
2,991
1,035
5,181
953
19,810
1980
35,261
1,867
3,309
1,151
5,726
1,086
22,122
1985
38,876
2,084
3,605
1,261
6,288
1,226
24,412
1990
42,685
2,308
3,932
1,380
6,887
1,360
26,819
1995
46,909
2,542
4,317
1,516
7,542
1,495
29,498
2000
45,207
2,450
4,159
1,463
7,252
1,441
28,442
2005
55,275
2,994
5,084
1,794
8,844
1,764
34,796
2010
60,655
3,295
5,502
1,970
9,703
1,947
38,238
2015
63,033
3,427
5,742
2,045
10,075
2,028
39,717
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Figure 9b shows the results of the population projections through 2100 under this
scenario using lower end fertility estimates.
9b. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 5 assuming lower
end fertility estimates
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2015
63,033
3,427
5,742
2,045
10,075
2,028
39,717
2020
65,778
3,578
5,991
2,134
10,509
2,116
41,449
2025
71,280
3,875
6,499
2,315
11,383
2,288
44,920
2030
76,083
4,134
6,921
2,474
12,145
2,441
47,967
2035
80,611
4,383
7,300
2,621
12,867
2,591
50,848
2040
84,260
4,586
7,614
2,739
13,453
2,712
53,157
2045
87,628
4,771
7,914
2,848
13,995
2,821
55,280
2050
91,302
4,969
8,250
2,968
14,583
2,937
57,595
2055
95,188
5,180
8,598
3,095
15,203
3,060
60,051
2060
99,009
5,388
8,930
3,220
15,813
3,184
62,474
2065
102,476
5,578
9,226
3,333
16,369
3,297
64,672
2070
105,477
5,743
9,484
3,431
16,851
3,395
66,572
2075
108,430
5,904
9,745
3,527
17,325
3,490
68,439
2080
111,468
6,069
10,015
3,626
17,811
3,587
70,360
2085
114,625
6,241
10,294
3,729
18,315
3,688
72,358
2090
117,830
6,416
10,573
3,834
18,828
3,792
74,386
2095
121,022
6,591
10,853
3,938
19,339
3,896
76,406
2100
122,449
6,668
10,977
3,984
19,568
3,941
77,308
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Figure 9c shows the results of the population projections through 2100 under this
scenario assuming higher end fertility estimates.
9c. Detailed population projections for MCT under scenario 5 assuming
higher end fertility estimates
Year
Total
MCT
Bois
Forte
Fond
du Lac
Grand
Portage
Leech
Lake
Mille
Lacs
White
Earth
2015
63,033
3,427
5,742
2,045
10,075
2,028
39,717
2020
65,778
3,578
5,991
2,134
10,509
2,116
41,449
2025
71,280
3,875
6,499
2,315
11,383
2,288
44,920
2030
78,057
4,242
7,097
2,538
12,460
2,505
49,215
2035
85,555
4,653
7,737
2,782
13,658
2,750
53,975
2040
90,966
4,951
8,210
2,957
14,524
2,928
57,396
2045
96,250
5,240
8,684
3,128
15,372
3,099
60,726
2050
102,565
5,583
9,258
3,335
16,383
3,300
64,707
2055
110,362
6,006
9,955
3,589
17,628
3,549
69,635
2060
118,976
6,475
10,713
3,870
19,004
3,827
75,087
2065
127,560
6,945
11,465
4,149
20,377
4,105
80,518
2070
135,992
7,405
12,211
4,424
21,728
4,378
85,846
2075
145,074
7,900
13,023
4,719
23,181
4,670
91,580
2080
155,340
8,459
13,941
5,054
24,822
4,999
98,065
2085
166,885
9,087
14,968
5,430
26,667
5,371
105,361
2090
179,440
9,771
16,083
5,839
28,674
5,776
113,296
2095
192,805
10,500
17,273
6,274
30,811
6,207
121,739
2100
205,356
11,184
18,395
6,682
32,818
6,611
129,665
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Appendix
Survey instrument
Codebook
All respondents’ comments to open-ended question
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
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Wilder Research, May 2014
Survey instrument
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
Member Survey
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) is looking at the tribal enrollment criteria for MCT members. The results
of this survey will be used to help MCT consider possible changes to enrollment criteria and how this could
affect total tribal population size.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: This survey is for informational purposes only; no tribal enrollment changes will be made
based on your responses to this survey.
Please complete the following information. Your responses are confidential -- no one but the study
team will see your answers.
Your first name: ________________________ Your last name: ____________________________________
Your date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________
Your tribal enrollment number: ________________________
Today’s date (mm/dd/yyyy): ________________ Your gender:
1 Male
2 Female
The first questions are about you.
1a. MCT has record of you as an enrolled member of one of MCT’s member bands. Do you know what blood
quantum (fraction of MCT blood) the MCT has on record for you?
1 Yes
2 No (go to 1c)
1b. What is your exact blood quantum on record with MCT? Enter your response
as a fraction (for example: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 23/64, 53/128). _________________
1c. Which MCT band are you enrolled with?
1 Bois Forte
2 Fond du Lac
4 Leech Lake
5 Mille Lacs
3 Grand Portage
6 White Earth
2a. Outside of MCT, do you have any other Chippewa/Ojibwe blood (such as Red Lake, Turtle Mountain, Red
Cliff, Bad River, etc.)?
1 Yes
2 No (go to 3a)
2b. What other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe(s)?
______________________________________________________________
2c. What is your blood quantum for this tribe/these tribe(s)? _________________
3a. Outside of Chippewa/Ojibwe blood, do you have any blood from other federally recognized tribes (such as
Dakota, Cherokee, Cheyenne, etc.) or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
2 No (go to 4a)
3b. What other federally recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
______________________________________________________________
3c. What is your blood quantum for this tribe/these tribe(s)? _________________
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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INSTRUCTIONS
Next, we have some questions about your biological children. This information will help the MCT understand
what effect changing tribal enrollment criteria could have on the total MCT population size. Please provide
information for each of your biological children. If you do not have any biological children go to
question 4 on page 6.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Please DO NOT send any separate documentation to the MCT at this time. We are
only asking these questions for informational purposes; no enrollment status will be
changed as the result of this survey.
CHILD #1 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
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26
(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
Wilder Research, May 2014
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #2 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
(GO TO B)
(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #3 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
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(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
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2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #4 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
(GO TO B)
(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #5 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
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(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
Wilder Research, May 2014
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #6 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
(GO TO B)
(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #7 (if none, go to question 4 on page 6)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
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(GO TO G)
Wilder Research, May 2014
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO
next child)
CHILD #8 (if none, go to question 4 below)
Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy): ____________________________
Gender:
1 Male
2 Female
A. Is this child an enrolled member of the MCT?
1 Yes
B. (If enrolled in the MCT) What is this child’s tribal enrollment number?
____________________
C. What is this child’s MCT blood quantum (fraction of MCT blood)?
____________________
D. Does this child have any blood from any non-MCT Chippewa/Ojibwe tribes?
1 Yes
E. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
F. Does this child have any blood from any non-Chippewa/Ojibwe federally
recognized tribes or Canadian First Nations?
1 Yes
G. What is this child’s blood quantum for this other non-Chippewa/Ojibwe tribe?
____________________
(GO TO B)
(GO TO E)
(GO TO G)
2 No
(GO TO C)
2 No
(GO TO F)
2 No
(GO TO Q4)
***** If you have additional biological children please attach their information on separate pages *****
4. Please provide any comments about the MCT’s current enrollment eligibility criteria, which is 1/4
(one-quarter) MCT blood quantum, or any other comments about tribal enrollment.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Miigwetch (thank you)!
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Codebook
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Codebook
May 22, 2013
2a. Outside of MCT, do you have any other Chippewa/Ojibwe blood (such as
Red Lake, Turtle Mountain, Red Cliff, Bad River, etc.)?
10
Bad River
15
Red Cliff
20
Red Lake
25
Turtle Mountain
30
Chippewa Cree
35
St. Croix Chippewa
40
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC)
45
Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO)
50
Lake Superior Chippewa (unspecified)
55
Legard Louis Wisconsin Chippewa (outside FDL)
60
Couchiching First Nation
65
Lac LaCroix First Nation
70
Long Plain First Nation
80
Unspecified other Chippewa/Ojibwe blood (including Pembina)
85
Named other MCT band (Bois Forte / Fond du Lac / Grand Portage / Leech Lake /
White Earth / Mille Lacs)
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3a. Outside of Chippewa/Ojibwe blood, do you have any blood from other
federally recognized tribes (such as Dakota, Cherokee, Cheyenne, etc.) or
Canadian First Nations?
10
Alaskan Native
15
Blackfoot/Blackfeet
20
Cherokee
25
Cheyenne
30
Creek
35
Ho-Chunk/Winnebago
40
Mohawk
45
Navajo
50
Oneida
55
Ponca
60
Potowatomi (Hannahville Indian Community)
65
Yana/Yahi/Deer Creek/Mill Creek
70
Assiniboine Dakota/Sioux
72
Devil's Lake Dakota/Sioux
74
Lower Dakota/Sioux
76
Mdewakaton Dakota/Sioux
78
Ogala Dakota/Sioux
80
Santee Dakota/Sioux
82
Standing Rock Dakota/Sioux
84
Yankton Dakota/Sioux
86
Unspecified Dakota/Sioux
88
Sisseton Sioux
90
Chapleau Cree First Nation
95
Fort William First Nation
115
Shoal Lake Cree Nation
120
Unspecified Canadian First Nation
130
Other federally recognized tribe/First Nation
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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4 (6). Please provide any comments about the MCT’s current enrollment
eligibility criteria, which is 1/4 (one-quarter) MCT blood quantum, or any
other comments about tribal enrollment.
10
Blood quantum requirement should be lowered.
20
Blood quantum should include all Chippewa/Ojibwe blood.
25
Blood quantum should include all Native American blood, including Canadian First Nations.
35
Eligibility should be based on lineage/descendancy.
40
The eligibility criteria should remain the same.
45
Adopted children of MCT families should not be eligible for tribal membership.
50
Eligibility should be redefined by changing the cut-off year for enrollment.
60
My children are ineligible, but I wish they could be enrolled.
65
My grandchildren are ineligible, but I wish they could be enrolled.
70
I am concerned about the tribe dying out.
75
Problems with tribal administration/management
80
More research should be done to ensure that blood quantum numbers are correct.
85
Some of my or my family's blood is unaccounted for.
90
I don't understand the blood quantum requirement/calculation/how to enroll my family.
95
It’s unfair that some family members can be enrolled while some cannot, depending on their
date of birth.
100
Listed family ancestry
110
No comment
120
Indirect comment
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Respondents’ open-ended comments to the final question on the survey:
Please provide any comments about the MCT’s current enrollment eligibility criteria, which
is 1/4 (one-quarter) MCT blood quantum, or any other comments about tribal enrollment
Just for the Bois Forte reservation, I would like to see the 1/4 lowered to 1/8. And that is about all I would
want to change on that. The reason being is that my grandkids could be enrolled. Right now, the two oldest
have children who can't be enrolled because they are 3/16. I kind of think there are a lot of people who
would like it lowered to 1/8. Reservations decide that for themselves. I was to an Elders meeting at Bois
Forte – they were talking about this, and they were trying to decide if Bois Forte should recognize another
reservation. They don't recognize the blood of another tribe (like Canadian First Nations) as counting
towards the 1/4. That is same issue they are talking about here, and there are a lot of people who would
like to lower the 1/4 to 1/8. My family in particular, we hunt a lot, and if you are not a member, you can't hunt
on Bois Forte reservation. My grandson can't hunt on this reservation. I would like to hunt with the family.
My hope is to have our Grand Portage Constitution finished. We had a few meetings in Portage, with
[xxxxx], and were surveying our members to figure out if a change should be done with the criteria to accept
1/8 quantum, or even direct descendants qualification, enrollment before we lose our heritage and rights as
Anishinaabe "Original People". Miigwetch.
1/4 is too high for a minimum qualification and should be lowered to 1/32 or less. All those on the rolls, and
their immediate descendants, should be recognized and afforded benefits, regardless of where they live.
Please lower these blood quotas and change the mandatory birth dates for enrollment (I have two siblings
who could join, but the birth date minimum prevents them).
I have two children that are not enrolled. I wish the criteria eligibility of 1/4 was different. They carry all the
genes from our ancestors, and they should be recognized as such. Miigwetch.
I would like for it to be dropped down to an eighth, so that the tribe can grow. And that my children can
become enrolled.
I just don't like it, my kids are not 25%; they're shy of it. I've tried to enroll them; I sent all the paperwork
through. My first one, now she's gonna be 22, and I sent hers in twice. They had different people in the
enrollment office, and they said send it in. When the other one was born, I sent it in four times, and I never
heard from them – the people ended up leaving it; they all disappeared. (anything else?) no, I just wish they
would decrease it from 25% to where my kids could be enrolled.
I believe that the MCT enrollment criteria should be changed to 1/8 blood quantum. My children have been
raised to be proud of their Ojibwa heritage and yet are being denied recognition by their own tribe. This
should be corrected as soon as possible.
Lower enrollment eligibility, so my children can become members of the MCT.
I believe the eligibility criteria should be lowered to 1/8 (one-eighth) MCT blood quantum, so my children,
and other children with 1/8 or greater quantum, can receive benefits they are entitled to and so it will
increase the level of tribal members.
I believe this should be dropped down to 20% – 1/5 – so both of my children can be enrolled. My mother
wasn't quite 100%, and it affects my children greatly. Miigwech!
I just wish they could lower the blood quantum, so I can enroll my children. They are Indian, they look
Indian, they breathe Indian – they are who they are without having a choice.
They should have done this study a long time ago. When I die, and I'm 55, the blood line stops with me. My
brothers and sisters are in the same situation with their own children.
It should be 1/8 blood quantum to be enrolled, because there will be a decline in band members in the
future. Therefore, our profits can still go to Native blood after there are no more 1/4 bloods. Also, it would
let the 1/8 blood still feel like part of the tribe to motivate them to carry on Native ways of life.
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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I would like to see the criteria reduced, so our tribe can stay strong in numbers, instead of dying out as our
people integrate with other races.
I think Grand Portage Reservation should lower blood quantum eligibility criteria to 1/8, due to the tribe
becoming smaller, as elders pass away and as tribal members marry outside of their race.
I would like to see it lowered to 1/8. I think this is critical to keep our member numbers sustainable.
Because we are a declining enrollment at Grand Portage, we should drop the quantum to 1/8 to keep this
reservation alive and thriving.
The 1/4 blood quantum should be lowered in order to allow more Native Americans to become enrolled. As
elders leave us, the membership in MCT goes down, thus reducing federal and state money for programs
and services.
I think it should be lowered, I think that any amount of blood quantum should be recognized by the MCT...If
they don't, the tribe's going to outsource itself and cease to exist. (What do you mean?) Nobody will be
able to make the minimum requirement in the next 50 to 80 years, roughly two generations. (anything
else?) I would think that they should lower the blood quantum, and that any amount of blood should be
recognized.
They need to lower it, because there's a lot of band members my age, or of my generation, that their blood
line dies with them, as far as blood quantum goes. (Recommendations?) They need to go back, look at the
rules, and see what's been done, because they've got a lot of us natives down as part Irish. They should
look at lowering it just a hair, because according to the government, it was supposed to be an eighth. I'm
not too sure about that, but the requirement was under a quarter. (anything else?) That's about it.
I think the tribal enrollment criteria should be set to the lower limit of 1/8 blood quantum.
By the way, my blood quantum is 1/2, but I don't currently know what the MCT has me listed as, which is
why I claimed I didn't know how much the MCT has me listed as for a blood quantum. I would certainly
hope they agree with me...
It would be great if the quantum was lowered for our children, who are not 1/4, because they still are Native,
considered Native American, and cannot be included as members. Our children are the future, and how can
they help keep our lands, language, cultures afloat, if they are not considered to have enough Native
American blood. Thanks
Please change this blood quantum, so my kids can be enrolled in Bois Forte.
I think you should lower the blood quantum and age.
When, if at all, are they going to lower the eligibility criteria to 1/8?
I'd like to see it be 1/8, but I don't know how they'd provide the services, because it'd add more enrollees.
Fond du Lac can't afford that.
I think it is imperative to extend benefits and privileges to include lower blood quantum for the sustainability
and longevity of our tribe.
With so many elders passing, perhaps it is time to look at new eligibility criteria of 1/8 MCT blood quantum.
Well, I was just thinking, direct descendants would be nice to cover. My nieces are all 1/8, and great-nieces
and -nephews are all 1/16, and it'd be nice if they got paid to go to school like I did. I got paid my tuition,
books, and fees, and then I get some annual stipends from gambling and fishing and hunting rights to divide
up. (specific?) I think if they went down to 1/16, that'd be good for me.
They should lower the blood quantum to 1/8, so our children could also be enrolled.
At Grand Portage, we have very few people enrolled. Like our Tribal Chairperson has some of his own
children that are not enrolled. They should lower the eligibility for people who have Native blood!
I’m 1/2, but my children still won't qualify, it would be a great benefit for college, etc. I believe that the
percentage should be 1/8!!
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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I feel like something needs to be done; there should be some change in the criteria. There are Natives I
know, and they are just shy of being that 1/4. (What?) They can't get enrolled a little bit less than the 1/4. I
don't think that's fair.
No. (any) I don't have children, so it doesn't matter to me. I could see lowering criteria as a good thing.
(why?) Helps children, and they would realize who they are and how it could be different.
I know my children's dad is 1/4, and I don't think they [MCT] are making enough effort to get band members
like him enrolled. Also, it would be nice if they lowered it [blood quantum] down to like 1/8.
I would rather see the quantum go down first, before including other Indian blood to make other nonChippewa enrollable in MCT.
I would like to see the threshold lowered for blood quantum, so they could benefit from the medical and health.
I think, at a minimum, one generation below 1/4 should be enrolled now. Thanks
I think it should be lowered to 20-23%
I think it would be good to have a 2 tier membership system, where 1/4 would be the lowest to receive full
benefits and any lower quantum's would have a membership without full benefits. I know the BIA does not
consider less than 1/4 blood for benefits. Maybe lower quantums could receive some kind of recognition
within the tribe that could be worth something.
I think the blood quantum should be lowered. They are still trying to eliminate us.
Combine blood from Wisconsin Chippewa tribe to make up the 1/4 for enrollment. Also look at 1/8 MCT as
enrollment. I have a half-sister who has less MCT blood (1/8) than my son. She is enrolled because she was
grandfathered in years ago. He is not enrolled.
They should let more people/tribes in. My older kids have Turtle Mountain blood through their mother, but
they have my MCT blood, too, and they cannot register.
My daughters are half Standing Rock Sioux. (Actually, one is 1/4 Standing Rock.) I understand why the
system is the way it is. But, other than Red Lake, it may be good/nice to allow blood from tribes that will
participate with MCT, such as Turtle Mountain or Ojibwe from WI or Michigan. Also, I think that the blood
quantum should not be lowered to anything less than the current 1/4.
I feel sad that my future grandchildren may not be able to be enrolled at their rezs because their blood
quantum continues to be cut in half, if they have children outside their rez – even if they are all MCT or
Chippewa tribe.
I would like to include my children's Red Lake blood - their father is 7/16 Leech Lake and 1/2 Red Lake - on
paper he looks under half when he's actually 15/16. My children look, on paper, only 33%, when in reality,
they are closer to full-blooded. This was just a white man's creation to weed out Native Americans, and it's
working.
Two youngest could be enrolled, if Leech Lake took Red Lake blood.
Enrollment rolls are very messed up for many reasons, so actual blood quantums are not recognized. Oral
family records from grandparents do match what the rolls have. I would like to see all Ojibwa & other bands
blood quantums be applied before our Indian people are no longer recognized. Blood quantums were put in
place to eventually eliminate our Indian people. We need to recognize our children and grandchildren and
those to come in the future.
I have siblings that are also enrolled. We all have the same mother and father, but my youngest sister does
not get recognized because of the year of her birth – this is just not fair. My grandpa was full-blooded
quantum – but not recognized – because his mother married someone from the Hayward tribe. This is
discrimination!
I think the MCT should recognize all Native (Ojibwe) blood when a person is trying to get enrolled, not just
MCT blood.
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My whole understanding was that we have our tribe – even though we've kind of broken off as the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, we still have Chippewa tribes that we are part of that make the bigger picture. It
seems awfully silly to have relations with anyone from Fond du lac, because this is where I'm from – I'm
related to everybody here. Why would I have relations or children with everyone here? I was figuring I had
it made, because my husband is part of Superior Chippewa tribe, I was assuming our children would have
enough to be enrolled here at Fond du Lac. I can understand me, you know, my father was not part of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, I get that, and he's not part of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa, so I get
that, but my children and husband are part of the whole band. To me, it would make sense that we would
include all of the Lake Superior Ojibwe.
Ojibwe blood quantum from Canada should be factored in to a total Indian blood quantum.
I think it should include all Ojibwe blood.
I think that the Cree blood should also be counted as eligibility for enrollment.
We need to take blood from many other tribes to increase the enrollment – Red Lake, in particular. Onequarter is okay, but not allowing Indians enrollment because they aren't from the right area seems like a
destructive idea.
If there is a way to enroll Native blood from other federally recognized tribes - my daughter could be
enrolled! My grandmother was from Red Cliff and that blood is not counted here.
How come if I have a child from Red Lake - (21/64 over a quarter) - this child's blood don't count. MCT don't
recognize the Dakota on Red Lake - why isn't more blood recognized? What good is the main purpose of
this survey? 10-15 years ago, they claimed to do something, and 10 years later, they're still asking questions.
I wish they'd open it up, especially to Red Lake, or any of the other tribes. As it is now, my kids are enrolled,
but my grandchildren aren't at all. Some of them are Native, and some of them aren’t, but if they could
count my Red Lake blood, they would be. I think they should open it up to all tribes, regardless of whether
or not they're American or Canadian even. I think it should be open to all reservations and all tribes.
They're breeding us out.
Please consider all Indian blood from any federally recognized tribe. If we do nothing, we will lose our
Native People. An Indian is an Indian, aren’t they? My grandchildren have a father from Red Lake that they
cannot claim. Their tribal blood line will be gone, if they do not marry MCT blood.
I think that the MCT should allow blood quantum from other tribes to be counted. We are selling our
members short, and we should not be so closed-minded in our approach to blood quantum. The blood
quantum will continue to shrink, and the MCT will slowly die out, because we don't allow blood from other
non-MCT Tribes.
It should include all blood from non-MCT Ojibwe or First Nation Ojibwe at the minimum. Include all other
blood from other tribes before we quantum ourselves out of existence.
I would like for MCT to acknowledge outside tribes' blood quantum, as my youngest daughter is considered
a half-breed – her grandmother is enrolled in Red Lake, which brings her father’s blood quantum down.
My children have 1/4 Chippewa blood quantum, but my mother's Lac LaCroix First Nations ancestry is not
recognized by the MCT. They are denied MCT eligibility, because of the Webster Ashburton Treaty that
artificially divided the Chippewa people.
The elders told stories about this. The wendigo would come and eat all the children that did not have a
name. This is a racial construct: conceptualized by a wendigo, that is contrary to all that is known in your
heart about how children are to be considered. The officials of the MCT that carry this policy out are
purveyors of the genocide used against the Anishinaabe. Treaties are supreme laws of the land; Article IV
of Treaty of 1847 stipulates the half-breeds and mixed bloods that reside among them shall be considered
simply Chippewa.
Why can't we combine all of our blood quantum from other tribes.
You know, I haven't really thought about that part. As far as I'm concerned, if you have any Native American
blood in you at all, you are considered a Native American, even if it's just a very small amount.
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I would like the MCT to include other Ojibwe blood (such as Red Lake) and Canadian First Nation Blood. I
don't agree with lowering the blood quantum.
I believe MCT should recognize other blood from other tribes. My daughter's father is full-blooded
Chippewa/Cree from Rocky Boy, MT.
It should be combined, not lowered.
All blood quantum from other reservations (Chippewa) including Canada, should be accepted by MCT. I
consider myself to be full-blood Chippewa, no matter what the MCT records show, long ago there were
never any boundaries/reservations, county, state, or country, that separated the people of this land.
I think any child should be able to be registered with a tribe, just because of the fact of the ICWA (Indian
Child Welfare Act). At the very least, the child could stay with an Indian family.
MCT should recognize all and any Indian blood lineage.
MCT should accept other Indian blood for blood quantum.
I think it is unfair for Native American blood quantum to be counted as it is, even if the Federal Government
were to fund a separate program to track and issue certificates of recognition of total blood quantum as how
much total Indian we are. Ex: [xxxxx], Address, DOB, SSN/Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe 7/8, Red Lake Band
of Ojibwe 1/8, total US American Indian Blood Quantum 8/8. This would be with proof, of course, but this
certified verification would be presented for enrollment in one tribe or could be used for verification for
services provided by any tribes requiring proof of enrollment. To me, being enrolled in a tribe is okay, as all it
means is eligibility for various services and compensations. But nationally, as a whole, we need to hang
onto our recognition as American Indians by having documentation to show that I am Native American and,
in fact, full-blood. As only allowing recognition of only one tribe and one quantum amount reflects that I am,
or we as a nation are, less Indian than we really are. It shouldn’t matter if individual tribes want to establish
their own rules and eligibility to be enrolled in their individual tribe, as it is in many cases now, as I
said.....that does, in fact, entitle us enrollees to certain tribal services, where, as a nation as a whole, we
need to be concerned about having recognition and status that allows the federal government to know who
we are and eligible for federal services, benefits, and compensations as being enrolled in one tribe, or not
enough for any tribe, shouldn't affect it. But getting back to the MCT's 104, as I said, each tribe should still
be able to make their own rules as it applies to their own tribe's services and eligibility for those services,
and each individual tribe should be allowed to have its own, like Leech Lake having the right, per a vote of
the people, to lower the eligibility. Some tribes have more money and more services to provide, and are
there for our people. Others seem to be pretty darn greedy and forgot about our people, our families, our
children all together. Mii-gwetch!
I think it would be more beneficial for Tribal families if more research would be done into tracing family lines
back. That way, more family members could be enrolled. Or else it would be good if the blood quantum
requirement would be lowered.
I feel if a Grand Portage Band member enrollee marries an enrolled MCT band member from a different
band, the descendant's full blood quantum should be recognized. If we continue on the present course, we
may have fewer and fewer enrolled members, but we should also be aware that reducing the 1/4 allows
many more descendants to become enrolled. With the current budget woes, resources would be stretched
even more and possibly creating more hardship to an ever decreasing budget crisis. I believe we should
encourage our children to maintain a healthy percentage of our heritage. If we reduce the quantum, the
strain on each of the reservations would increase added pressure on housing, health care, land, natural
resources, wildlife, etc. How and why was the 1/4 quantum established? If we start lowering the blood
quantum in the near future and again and again in years to follow, how low will the quantum go? Will we be
a nation of very, very low blood quantum if this trend starts and continues? Our elected officials and band
members who may be of low quantum in the future may not be quite as caring and keep lowering the
quantum to maintain eligible enrollees.
The blood quantum should not be separate in one state. We are all one in Minnesota. This causes
generations/children to be left out of their culture, of who they are. The fractionation causes more wrong
than good.
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The laws are wrong. We have to choose from one – like my son is Cherokee and Chippewa and has lost all
his identity as a Cherokee, because we had to choose one over the other. My father is a spiritual leader for
Bois Forte, and my grandchildren can't even be recognized as an Indian. That is wrong! Because of the
blood quantum - this is due to bad records and records that they did not keep. This problem is affecting a lot
of us. This is not a [unintelligible] way of keeping track. My grandchildren are being affected, and that
pisses me off.
I'm a card-carrying Indian, and I know who I am. But I'm afraid my grandchildren will never know what it is to
be Native. They should go by lineage, not blood quantum.
I think the enrollment should be opened to direct descendants of those members with 1/4 blood quantum
beginning from the last enrollment modification. I believe that would take it to DOB thru 1986.
Indian is Indian. My eldest, non-enrolled child has Indian blood in her just as her mother (me), her siblings,
grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. But she doesn't have what I call “that magic 405A" after her
name. You're invisible on my rez without it. It's quite frustrating, and the "thinning" of Indian blood needs to
be revisited and corrected.
I would like to see enrollment by lineage, due to the fact that I am now an Elder, at 62 yrs.old. It is important
to me, as it was for my mother, to have my family as enrolled members before I die. If we go by lineage
now, then we won't have the expense in later years doing these surveys. I would like to know the average
age of our members at Grand Portage. My children and grandchildren have Grand Portage Chippewa
blood, and it seems that there should be no question for these generations to become band members as
soon as possible. We went through a questionnaire 2 yrs. ago and were given results at that time. Why are
we doing this again? I hope you listen to members this time around and get enrollment open to the next
generations. Thank you.
I think it would help to have total blood quantum. My grandfather went to Washington for Grand Portage to
get Grand Portage treaty laws. He was an early leader of the tribe. (anything else?) My grandmother was
Sioux and a little Swedish. I would like to see it go to the original people enrolled – not the blood quantum,
but the heritage – then my kids would be included.
I feel it should go back to the way it was when I was enrolled. As long as we could prove our heritage, we
were enrolled. As it stands, we are in the trend of self-annihilation – no one is eligible. Also, I feel we have
Canadian blood on our side and was shown by our historian, but when presented to MCT, they would not
listen and would not look into. And we have band members who have been adopted into our band who hold
rights that our own people do not have. This enrollment is messed up, because it depends who is chairman
and RTC at enrollment.
I wish, or would like to see, all members of any tribe have increased blood quantum, possibly by using
ancestors and where they were enrolled. (Red Lake Band) For instance, my deceased husband was
enrolled in Red Lake at one point, but switched to Leech Lake. So our daughter could be enrolled here, our
daughter's quantum went down. As for myself, I was enrolled in White Earth but later switched to Leech
Lake. Both our fathers were full-blooded Leech Lake enrollees. Using each quantum would help so our
Native population in being enrolled doesn't decrease.
My children are only a point away from being enrolled. They are descendants from Bois Forte Band and
Grand Portage. My quantum was changed 3 times...why?
My grandmother was more Native than the records show, making my mother and all subsequent generations
'less Native.' It’s hard to verify, with 100% accuracy, every member’s exact numerator and denominator that
comprise their magical quantum fraction. For this reason, I support a move to lineage enrollment criteria.
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The whole blood quantum is full of shit. (why?) Because situations like this we’re dying out. We have Full
Bloods who are not recognized just because of this blood quantum, government BS. A lot of us, that our
fathers did not sign a birth certificate, lose half of our Indian status, but we’re full-blooded.
They have to do away with this blood quantum. My brother's children can't get enrolled, because they were
born after 1961, so they can't. They are the same as my children, who are eligible, so it's just a big mess,
this whole blood thing.
In my opinion, blood quantum is a tool of genocide, used by the U.S. government to eradicate Native
populations. We should scrap the whole blood quantum issue. In its place, I propose that we simplify
enrollment – if you have one or more parents as enrolled members, the individual should be eligible for
enrollment.
How can you be a recognized tribe if you aren't even a Native American? If only 5% of you is Native
American and the other 95% is white, black, or any other nationality, how can you be recognized as Native
American, if you're not Native American and you are something else?
I think Native Americans should be the ones who benefit (from) what the enrollment guidelines are. The
present guidelines are (that) you only have to be a quarter to be enrolled. In my eyes, all you are doing is
diluting it and watering it down. I believe that you are destroying the Native American people by turning their
nationality into something it's not, which is a mixed race. That's how I feel about it. There are a lot of people
who aren't Native American who are benefitting by using Native American Chippewa funds for schooling, per
capita payments. That's what it is. I don't believe numbers should matter; being an Indian is what matters. It
should matter how many people you have in your tribe, it should matter how Native American you are.
The legislation and the Federal Government shouldn't dictate your numbers. It shouldn't matter. From my
understanding, the numbers aren't high enough and you won't be recognized as a Federal tribe.
The tribe is about Native American people themselves, and it's about the members of the tribe. We shouldn't
be forced into having people take away what we have, when you have the government and legislation
wanting us to take in more members, and we're already struggling.
White Earth already has a ton of members and Mille Lacs has a ton of members. But Shakopee (Mystic
Lake Casino) doesn't have many members and I don't see the government looking at recognizing them.
The Ojibwe people, for the most part, struggle. What few options they have available are taken up by
members who aren't even members, who are white or whatever nationality they are. I am over 50% myself
and the majority of my family are Indians. I see people who are white as a ghost, who say they are Native
American. They say, “I'm more Swedish and Norwegian, but I am an enrolled member." A lot of fraudulent
birth certificates. A lot of people who get enrolled due to the fact that they might have had a one-night stand,
or who are enrolled for the benefits. They try to get enrolled in tribes who have money. That's why the
Shakopee tribe's numbers haven't gone up, because they don't let anyone in anymore. You should be
talking to Shakopee.
Lowering the blood quantum is totally what some idiot would do, and that's how I feel about it. When you
lower it, you just cave in to the white man telling you what to do. Our people have been dictated to for too
long. How does somebody who is 90% white and 10% Indian benefit the tribe? There are a lot of people
who claim to be Indian who aren't Indian, but they are claiming (it) to get free money. So many white people
and people who aren't Native American who are enrolled in the tribe. How can that benefit the tribe? You’ve
got to be Native American or Indian, in my eyes, to really understand the culture.
I would like the MCT's enrollment eligibility criteria be “direct descendancy” from enrolled MCT tribal
members.
I fully support “direct descendancy” as the criteria for MCT enrollment.
I support “direct dependency” to be MCT enrollment criteria
I feel the blood quantum is low and will eliminate a lot of future enrollees. It should be a matter of your family
history and facts of who is enrolled (grandparents, parents, etc.)
I believe the enrollments should include all biological children of enrolled members.
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I think that if one child out of a family is registered (as I was before the law was passed), then all children
should be.
Any blood quantum should be enough, regardless of amount.
It would be nice if all family members from the same parent could be enrolled.
MCT enrollment numbers are not given - I believe if the individuals want to reveal these numbers, they can
be contacted to do so! I believe MCT descendants of 1/16 or 1/8 blood quantum should be able to be
enrolled. Perhaps as the years go by, those 1/16-1/8 persons could say that any descendant should be
enrolled. My wife and I have, at the present time, 3 great-grandchildren who are not enrolled to the 1/4 blood
quantum, and I know of others in this area who are in the same position. My wife is 3/4 blood quantum, and
as you read, I am 1/4 blood quantum.
I think they should enroll children of current tribal members regardless of blood quantum.
I feel blood quantum level should be extended indefinitely if you can prove through records tribe
connections. These people should be recognized and assisted. Thank you.
The blood quantum shouldn't determine enrollment. Rather, proof of descendancy should be used.
It would benefit the White Earth reservation to allow children of enrolled members to be recognized as an
'enrolled' member of a MCT. College monies and other benefits would help our young people to secure
their future.
I think it should be the same as the South Dakota Pembina tribe. Lineal descent!
Our ancestors were taken advantage of, and I feel we have a right to be a part of the tribe. We are his
descendants, and it does not matter what our blood quantum is. We are members of the tribe.
The criteria are a form of generational genocide. It shouldn't matter HOW much Native blood one holds. It
should only matter that they are Native!
Please look at lineage options. Side note: Also on the survey or letter no indication of when this was
supposed to be turned in.
I would like tribal membership to be based on lineal descendancy.
I highly disagree with the MCT blood quantum criteria of 1/4. I believe tribal enrollment should be
established by proven blood relation & hereditary.
I believe that if a descendant can prove, through documents from the BIA, that they are a direct descendant
of such documents, and these documents go back to ancestors that lived and were known as a member of
the Chippewa Indian Nation in the 1800s, with these documents, MCT can work with enrollees with enrolling
their children and grandchildren as a member of the MCT.
It's disgusting that MCT uses a federally imposed standard (1/4) for tribal membership. The blood quantum
requirement was designed to ensure the tribe would eventually disappear. And, that is happening; our
language is almost gone. The traditional way to determine whether an individual was Anishinaabe-Ojibwe
was to determine whether he/she lived by the “Anishinable Naa Baat So Win" standard; in other words does
the individual live the "Indian way of life." The MCT leadership has done almost everything to ensure the
federal government's wish comes to fruition. Tribal citizenship should be determined by our traditional ways,
not by the federal government's way.
I would like to see MCT's enrollment eligibility based not on blood quantum, but rather, on lineage.
I think it should be just the descendants of a band member.
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I've been up there twice, so I don't really know to be honest with you. You mean how they treat you, is that
what you want to know? (clarified question: what do you think about the enrollment requirement?) I think
the eligibility criteria is fine. Unless they want to go deeper (what do you mean?) If they wanted to go lower
they could. But I don't know, I guess I'm 1/3. I think 1/4 is the lowest they should go. (anything else?)
Nope, just that I'm proud to be a member of the Bois Forte band.
I think 1/4 is a good number, but the MCT should claim Red Lake blood or any other tribe's blood also.
I believe it is important to maintain the current enrollment standards, but to allow people with other tribal
blood quantums to be enrolled at MCT, if their quantums total 1/4.
I would like for my kid to be enrolled for pride sake if nothing else, he is around 3/16. I understand that a line
needs to be drawn somewhere and am ok with it staying at 1/4. I don’t see any problem with less than 1/4
as being recognized descendants with possible health and education benefits.
I believe the 1/4 blood quantum should stay as eligible enrollment criteria. I strongly believe that, if a child is
adopted into a Native family and does not qualify in the 1/4 quantum, they should not be able to enroll that
child. It's the blood line that qualifies the individual, not his or her introduction to that family and its history.
Continuing research on ancestral blood line. I agree with the current enrollment requirements, but making
sure the blood quantums are correct and true...beginning with ancestors.
My blood quantum is 3/4 and three of my youngest children their mother is 7/8, and then my three children
are barely over a half. They have less blood than their parents. They should be somewhere between 3/4
and 7/8. (How do you feel about the 1/4 blood quantum requirement?) I'm okay with the requirement.
I think they are pretty fair, but their elections are not.
The criteria is fine. Grandmother was not allowed to register as full-blood, because grandfather registered as
Fond du Lac. Cherokee heritage has the same problem: Grandfather denied his heritage to get employment
– was full-blood, claimed 1/2.
I don't think MCT should drop the blood quantum at all to be enrolled. I also think we should be able to use
land in blood quantum.
Tribes and the MCT should stay with this 1/4 criteria for enrollment. It’s the people in power and their
children that are marrying non-Natives and diluting our Native blood.
I think they really treat the elders wonderfully. I don't know. I'm amazed at how good they really are to us. I
don't know about the enrollment. I think they're doing good with the enrollment. I don't know how they can
give to everybody. My family now, that's left, they really don't have that much blood, and I can see where
they would want to care for the ones that had more blood in the families. So it really, I really am amazed at
how good they take care of us. (other opinion?) I've got my children but I don't think they're gonna qualify.
You'd think I'd want them to lower it, but really, I'm okay with the enrollment. For my children, I think it'd be
wonderful if they'd lower it. But can you imagine how many people would be added to the rolls.
I live in [city] but go to White Earth to get all my doctoring, and I'm happy with that. The only thing I'd like to
see changed is you have to live on the reservation to get complete health care. I wish the tribe would pay
for all my medical. When I had a heart attack, they took me to N.D. I have to pay for that myself, and it's
about bankrupting me. I don't want to have to move back to the reservation for that [complete health care
coverage]. [Probe - any thoughts about the blood quantum issue itself?] I don't know if they should make
any changes in that.
The eligibility criteria is good.
I think 1/4 blood quantum eligibility is too low, as it is. I think it should never drop or be lowered any further.
I've never had any problems with tribal enrollment. (anything else?) No. They should just leave it at 1/4. I
saw something on the news today about White Earth trying to change something. That's just my two cents.
I like the current enrollment criteria.
A quarter sounds good to me.
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I like it the way it is. It [eligibility criteria] should stay closed, not open like the Cherokee have done. They
have too many people enrolled now, and don't take care of their people like we do.
I think the way it is set up is fine. To be set up as Indian, it is fine.
I'm fine how it is
I think the blood quantum should stay at one-quarter and nothing less!
I feel the criteria for enrollment should remain the same, at 1/4 blood quantum.
Keep everything as is.
I'm happy with the current enrollments.
I feel that 1/4 should be the lowest.
Please leave quantum at ¼. We are losing our Indian population, but maybe by leaving it 1/4, it would
encourage more natives to make better decisions about having kids. My comments are not intended to be
racist or prejudiced in any way...
Leave it as is.
I think everything's okay. (anything else?) Nope, I'm satisfied with everything that's going on.
I have a lot of respect for MCT, I feel it is a fine job! Miigwetch
Keep everything as is.
It seems like it's going alright, to me. It doesn't affect me or my kids.
You should be at least a 1/4 native to be enrolled.
I think it’s a good requirement.
No, it’s fine the way it is. (satisfied?) Yes.
No - I don't. (any?) I wish the eligibility criteria stay the same as it is now, which is 1/4.
I do NOT feel the blood quantum should be lowered.
No, I don't know. I think that's fair.
I guess I don't. They tried to lower it, and I don't see fit. Leave it as is. (anything else?) No, actually no,
because I've known what they were trying to do like two years ago. I disagreed with it, but you know, that
was only one person, I'm only one person, and one person to vote. Because there's more people that were
trying to get in with all the six bands that we have in Minnesota. And I disagreed with that.
I don't have any objections about any of this.
No comments, I think it's pretty fair.
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One thing I wish they would do is, I've lived here on Mille Lacs all my life. I wish they would bring back the
people that are really legally from here through generations. You know, the ones that live elsewhere and
that are denied being enrolled because - even other reservations - I wish they would bring them back.
And I wish they would look at the adopted children again. I wish they would look at the adopted children,
because a lot of them are half-breeds. Like I said, I'm one of the very few full-bloods on this reservation. A
lot of the people my age aren't full-bloods. Then their kids aren't even half, and now their kids are enrolled –
and how can they be enrolled when they're not 1/4 bloods? But through adoption, it looks like they are. I
wish they would look at that again.
From my family, my mother and my dad were from here, but my mother's biological siblings were born in
Cass Lake. Well, there's very few of them left, and they're in their 90s now. Their mother and father were
originally from Mille Lacs, but they settled in Leech Lake. The time to enroll them came along in the 30s and
40s, and they were enrolled in Leech Lake, not knowing that they would have a repercussion when they
originally came from Mille Lacs. Through the enrollment moratorium they couldn't switch bands. I wish they
would look at that and say, “Well, your parents were originally from Mille Lacs" and they settled in Leech
Lake. I have a friend in White Earth, her grandmother was originally from Mille Lacs, and her mother settled
in White Earth, and that's a time, too, in the 1930s. Well, they enrolled her in White Earth. I wish they'd look
at situations like that. I understand the moratorium. There's some through adoption that don't belong in Mille
Lacs. It's a small community. You know who's who, and you know what's happening, but through lying outright lying about the birth of a child - just to enroll them here, isn't right. But they do it anyway.
By the looks of what is happening on Fond du Lac there are more and more Afro/Indian babies being born,
which should not be able to be enrolled. There are some that should NOT be enrolled here either, adopted
by tribal members or representative.
If the eligibility criteria was reduced and allowed my sons to become enrolled members, then I would hope
that one of the benefits as an enrolled member would be affordable education for themselves and their
children. I have nieces and nephews that are currently attending a university that provides them with an
education that is feasible.
As far as I know, I am just under being 1/2 and it makes my children just under the eligibility criteria for
enrollment. It would be nice if my children could have the same rights as a Native American as I do. We still
have several family members that live and work on the reservation. I hope the blood quantum criteria will be
lowered, so it includes the children of members. Thank You.
It’s very sad when a number keeps you from your own Tribe. This method is so “White Thinking", the
process of elimination of our people has been so well learnt from the White man that we continue to banish
our people without even thinking Traditional. When we became a government of the non-Indian, we
became our own worst enemy. My daughter is Native, and by the not recognizing Red Lake degree, she is
not enrollable. Yet, her other Tribe, the Sisseton Sioux, has embraced her (not enrolled her) but was more
caring than when we went to get her enrolled with my Tribe. The women were very COLD HEARTED and
very dismissive – we did not witness Native People that day, we witnessed dark-skinned people wearing a
white face! I have lost respect for the administration at the MCT, but I haven't lost faith in who I am as a
traditional woman. It doesn't take a piece of paper to tell my daughter who she is. I will have to remind her
that the people that denied her are pitiful, and they will have to face our ancestors when they leave this
place – it will be a shame if our ancestors will not let them in the great circle of life just to teach them a
lesson!
Some blood quantum was lost when my grandmother enrolled through Leech Lake instead of Red Lake.
Unfortunately, my kids are now 1/32 short of being enrolled through Leech Lake.
I am 1/4 Ojibway (Leech Lake) and a few drops short of 1/4 Sioux, which makes my children a hair short of
1/4 Indian, which disqualifies them from tribal benefits, especially when it involves their education.
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It seems like the US Government's method to eliminate the Ojibwe bloodline. Maybe that was the intent, and
maybe not, but it is definitely happening. I can’t enroll any children into my tribe, because they aren’t part of
the MCT network. Seems wrong to me. There should be something that follows the father, for sons, or
follows the mother, for daughters, if there is a portion of original blood that can be traced back to the
ancestors. Otherwise, the nation of the MCT will collapse. This is a very serious issue, and I hope it gets
resolved soon! But it doesn’t appear that it is even a discussion. I hope that this survey is part of some larger
plan to help increase awareness on the issue and not just another attempt at government data mining to
further control and limit our population.
In 1993 when people who were 1/8 blood quantum born between April 14, 1941 and July 4, 1961 were
allowed to apply for tribal memberships, 2 of my 3 children were accepted. My third child was born in March
of 1962, so he was denied enrollment. I feel having an age requirement was unfair. Those born after July
4, 1961 are Indian. If there is a blood quantum requirement it should include all instead of a birth date
requirement. Miigwetch
Someday, I would like to see my son become eligible to be an enrolled member of the MCT Fond du Lac
Band, because he is the son of an enrolled member, regardless of blood quantum.
In 2011, we filed an application for enrollment to Fond du Lac for our two sons, and it was denied. We had
hopes that, because of our extensive family history and land allotments to our family, from both Fond du Lac
and White Earth that enrollment for our sons would be reconsidered.
I tried to enroll my children in the MCT, but was told they didn't have enough blood. I was very
disappointed, but at least they are enrolled in a tribe. The same with my grandson, whose mother is white. I
tried to enroll him according to the old constitution, which said something about lineage. However, he was
turned down, also. So, we tried, and he was accepted into the Winnebago tribe, based on lineage and being
voted in by the members. His great-grandparents came from there, and we still have relatives up there. This
'blood quantum" is slowly killing off the Native Peoples of America. Chi Migwitch (Big Thank You!)
1. This has been an on-going issue as to non-inclusion of any other acceptance of blood within MCT, etc. I
want my 3 children enrolled along with my grandchildren.
2. We are systematically eliminating our own people.
3. Native Americans should not be aligned with inclusion as an animal's purebred. I am unaware of any
other culture/ethnic group being "measured" and having to meet a "blood quantum" to be part of a group.
4. When the parents (biological) are the same for all their children, and due to DOB (1961?) cut-off year, the
younger sibling(s) can't be enrolled but their sibling is.
Well, the only comment that I guess I would have is that my daughter could be a full beneficiary of the tribe. I
consider her a lost tribal member. I just feel that she should have 100% of the benefits - equal to my benefits
- of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. And I think that her offspring should also, that they should be eligible for
furthering their education and receiving that benefit. They incur huge dollar amounts in terms of going to
college, furthering their education, and it's a problem. So I just feel that they also need to receive part of the
benefits. If they were interested in applying for those benefits, then they should be included. You know,
scholarships. (anything else?) I think that would be it. and just FYI, I do have an adopted son that is
Canadian Cree. (Not needed for the purposes of this survey.) He has more identified native blood than my
daughter, and has dual citizenship, and his children are also identified or recognized, you know, not by the
U.S. government, but in Canada.
I am unable to enroll my daughters, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren due to present policies. I am
anxious to see this change in the future.
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I feel the Blood Quantum criteria is the U.S. government’s way of clearly decreasing the number of Native
American peoples - and a way to 'legally' back out of their treaty responsibilities. It should be the MCT
responsibility to use the wisdom of those that have gone before us to make sure the seven generations
down the path, we still have Native American people. This is not an easy issue, and it is good that you are
looking to the people for their words. Mine is that I would, before I die, like to see my children enrolled at
White Earth. After I found my way out of being sold into adoption, I had no identity. That had long ago been
stripped from me. After beginning 'the long search', a letter came to my door telling me I was enrolled at
White Earth/MCT, and that I was from the Mississippi Band. It meant to me that I was accepted by my
people. It meant that I wasn't a throw away. It meant that my life had value. It meant that, even though I
didn't know anyone, that I had Native ancestors watching and helping me - ever since I was an infant. When
I received the letter from the MCT, in the late 1970's, stating I was enrolled, I wept tears of joy. Thus began
my journey to discover me. Who my people were? Were they still living? And a million other questions.
Thirty-three years later, I have answers to many hundreds of questions, and have more questions to ask.
Regarding blood quantum - - Here is an example: My partner is the son of [xxxxx], who was the daughter of
[xxxxx], DOB about 1895, born in a wigwam in the bush at Nett Lake - she was a full blood. Her father was
from Lac La Croix. Because her mother did not have a birth certificate, and could not produce other
necessary paperwork (she did not have paperwork proving her mother) she was not able to be enrolled at
Boise Forte. The family (her kids) tried diligently to work with the tribe and MCT, but were told there was not
proof, therefore, she could not be enrolled. There are people at Lake Vermillion and Nett Lake who know
she is her mother’s daughter. We just don't have the white man's paper.
A very similar story follows horizontally regarding my partner’s father and his father's beginnings at Nett
Lake. My partner’s father was [xxxxx], and his father’s father was [xxxxx], a full-blood, born about 1879 at
Nett Lake, he and some of his half-brothers were sent to Seine River to live with the relatives. His father’s
mother was also a full-blood, also born about 1879 at Nett Lake. Again, paperwork and other issues
interrupted enrollment at Bois Forte. His father’s father and mother lived at Nett Lake or in the surrounding
area most of their married life. They shared their spiritual beliefs, gifts, and tools to help the people of Bois
Forte and far into Canada. They had a huge circle of friends, many of their closest being from Nett Lake,
because they grew up together. In the meantime, my partner’s mother passed on almost a year ago now,
and up until two months before she got sick and passed, she was still hoping to somehow be able to be
enrolled in her mom's tribe. Sadly, this never happened. Now, any attempt for my partner to get enrolled at
Bois Forte is impossible, since even though we would continue to seek out ways to prove his lineage, his
mom was not enrolled before she passed. Ironically, both had their funerals at the community center at Nett
Lake and were buried on Nett Lake land. So we have a Native American who is full-blood Indian - 100%
from his head to his toes, his first language is Ojibwe, traveled with his parents to ceremonies, knows the
cultural belief systems, lives by a traditional Ojibwe belief system, is a drum carrier, BUT IS DENIED
ENROLLMENT because he doesn't have the white man's paper. Incidentally, my partner’s son lives with his
[Native] grandmother and mother on Bois Forte Nation and unless my partner can be enrolled, his son is not
enrollable either. In years to come, the current enrollment eligibility criteria are going to fraction our tribes
into oblivion. And the white man will have won the war.
I think it would be great if my son was able to be enrolled. As us enrolled members die off, the population
will continue to decrease, and eventually, Washington D.C. won't bother recognizing the needs of such a
small tribe.
Why would mine say 1/8 and I would be part of the tribe? (explain). I would like to see my kids to be able to
be on it to where they could go to school and whatever. Another thing I would like to see is, because we live
in [another state], and we live out of the state, we don't get hardly anything. We just now got to where we
can go to a federally recognized reservation to be able to get medical, and now we've just gotten to where
we can get medications through the state, but we weren’t even allowed to do any of that before. I would just
like to see us get some of the benefits that the Indians on the reservation get and not be penalized just for
basically being off the reservation, when we had no choice, because we moved off the reservation when I
was young. (what kind of benefits?) Like they have a fund set up for the elders, and I'm an elder now. They
have a fund set up for if you get in trouble or anything like that - $800 for each elder member - but since
we're out of Minnesota we're not eligible for any of that. We're really penalized for not being on the
reservation in Minnesota... I just hope I'm not penalized now for being, they know I'm less than 1/4.
I believe I am ¼, and my daughters are 1/8th. I haven't been able to confirm if I am of a higher blood line, since
I live in out of state. I am unable to confirm if their biological father is of Native blood; he lives in Maine.
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My father was born in Grand Portage in 1916. I was living in grand Portage in 1941. My children are not
eligible to partake of their heritage. Yet children who were born after them are members of the Grand
Portage band. My family has been in Grand Portage for over 100 years, and my family ties to Grand
Portage will end with my demise! IS THIS FAIR!!
My adopted son’s biological parents are both enrolled with Leech Lake. Because of the sensitivity of my
case, I cannot enroll my son. His blood quantum would be well over 1/2 Leech Lake. He will not be able to
benefit from our reservation as he grows to college level. If someone could help to find out more on this for
me and my son, I would very much appreciate it.
My quantum was distorted, due to some selling of land by my grandfather. My children have enough Indian
blood to join MCT. They both are proud of our Indian heritage and live their lives that way. They should be
enrolled.
My children were not able to be enrolled, because of eligibility requirements. I feel that they should be
allowed to enroll. This is all due to blood quantum that should be more than it actually is, on file.
Unfortunately, my Dad passed away before he could get it straightened out. One of my ancestors signed
papers stating he was not full-blood, to sell land.
I was born out of wedlock. I only have one son, and he is the last on my side. He didn't qualify, due to the
lack of information on my father's side. I'm now going to be 59, and he's 39. He has always been
considered an Indian, due to his facial features, and has accepted it. It's a shame my own tribe will not
consider him.
Because the cut-off date was 1964, my children are not enrolled. I spoke recently to a woman whose
children were born after 1964 and are less than 1/4 - and are enrolled. I feel that there are probably a lot of
less-than-1/4, born after, who were somehow able to become enrolled. I did try to have mine enrolled in
2010 or 2011, but was denied. I feel this needs to be checked into for fairness. Thank you.
How can I get my own children enrolled in this tribe? Years ago, I always heard that girls were enrolled in
their mothers or grandmothers tribe, and boys were enrolled in their fathers or grandfathers tribe. Is this so?
I don't know what the eligibility requirements are, if we have blood in Chippewa and Northern Cheyenne. My
grandmother was Chippewa, and my grandfather was enrolled in Northern Cheyenne in Montana.
Not really - I would like to get my children enrolled, but don't know how and don’t know what the
requirements are.
My sister and brother couldn't be enrolled anywhere, and they are Indians. (Reason) In 1963, they
changed the blood quantum in order to wipe out Indians across the county. My mother was 1/2 Indian and
their brother was from Browning, Montana and 1/2 Indian. My kids, they are Indians, but they are Mexican
Indians, and because of the border, they are not considered Indians, because they are Mexican.
I wish they would change the cut-off date, as my nieces and nephews are registered, but because my
children are younger they are not.
His grandfather (04/18/1885) was enrolled at White Earth. His mother (approx. 1870). He was sent to a
mission school in 1895, and never spoke about his heritage. My mother never spoke of my father, except
once, as “that drunken Indian". Our youngest daughter was born too late to be enrolled, but is more aware
of her heritage than most folks. She has a major in American Indian Studies. She has worked extensively
with "mending the sacred hoop" in Duluth and will receive her law degree this spring.
It just doesn't seem fair that only 3 of my 4 children can be enrolled, when they all have the same MCT
blood quantum.
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My children were all born after 1961, so they have had nothing to do with the tribe. My children and I, we've
talked numerous times, and I have told them about it. And I go back through Missouri almost every year
and visit them there - they live in Missouri - then I go back to Minnesota where I have brothers and sisters
that are still alive. My brother works on the reservation and we visit my sister in Grand Marais
Three of my 4 children are enrolled members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. My hope
is that they will be eligible to be enrolled with the Grand Portage Band, as this is their home. I feel it is
important that we open our rolls to a future generation. Also, I feel it is wrong that some families have
exaggerated their quantum to include their children and grandchildren. What's good for one is good for all.
No, I'm thinking, I get the paper from White Earth, and I'm thinking that they're doing something. I feel like
it's positive – that they're doing something to better the whole program. (what's positive?) The fact that
they're looking into something. (opinion about what they should do?) Yes, I think that they should. This has
always been something. One son is able to be enrolled, and I think the other one should be. I think that
Mrs. Vizenor is doing very, very good for the tribe. My maiden name was [xxxxx], and I do hear from my
relatives. (anything else?) No, the medical benefits, I do get them here, too, the medical benefits for the
tribal members. I hope they get this enrollment squared around. I just like the progress that they are
making.
It would be nice if my heir was able to be enrolled, so I could leave my home to him, which is located on
tribal land.
I have not enrolled my children since was told they weren't enough blood quantum.
I don't know. I think, as the elders die, they should include the children of the next generation that have not
been included, like my children, because they aren't included right now. [Note: Respondent's children are 40
& 38 years old.]
I would like to see the blood quantum lowered to allow my children to claim their Indian heritage at Fond du
Lac. They are very proud of their family history, which includes the Indian bloodline. Thank you.
I wish they would be able to enroll. You know, like my daughter just being under a quarter and stuff like that.
It's a little...I'd like to be able to have people like that enrolled.
I would like to ensure, as part of my family's heritage, that my children, and theirs, be enrolled as members.
My grandson, this year, is invited to and will attend a conference in Southern Oregon as part of OMSI,
promoting an environmental and science-based project showing how Native Americans are using land and
resources but returning to the earth the by-products for reuse. As you can see, we are quite proud of our
heritage and wish to pass it on to future generations.
I had three brothers and three sisters. We all had children of the same blood quantum - 1/4 - but my two
daughters were discriminated against and not allowed to be Band members.
I hope this comes through so our kids can be enrolled - this business just seems like it's gone on too long.
I need to check other blood from my side of the family and add it to my blood line, so it will bring my blood
line up, so my son can get enrolled.
I would like to see my sister's children be able to enroll. Even though they only carry 1/8th blood, they have
been raised to stand up and be counted.
I would like to have my children enrolled into the Grand Portage Band as a member.
I think my children should be able to become enrolled members, for many reasons, one being that it would
help them to get jobs.
I would like to see my son be able to take my place as a member, even though my son's blood quantum is
legally 1/2 of mine. If he can just take my place without the current 1/4 MCT blood quantum.
It was said at one time that my children's blood quantum was 7/32 - and not qualified - at that time.
I think my four children should be enrolled members of Grand Portage.
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I wish I would have been able to enroll my daughter, but her blood quantum is not.
I would like my daughters to be included in the MCT enrollment.
I would love to get my two kids enrolled.
I know I'm, like, one degree under, and my kids can't be enrolled.
I would like to see a change, because I'd like to see my children enrolled, and they don't have enough blood
quantum.
I would like to enroll my children.
We could use help with schooling, if they were enrolled with the MCT.
I would like to see that our kids can be enrolled, regardless of their blood quantum - we are Indian, so our
children should be Indians too.
I have attempted to enroll my oldest child, but was denied, due to his blood quantum. I would like to have
both of my children enrolled. I wish that my children’s blood quantum would be sufficient to enroll them as
members. My blood quantum is 11/32, and theirs would be 1/2 of that which is approximately 1/6th. I
believe they should meet the criteria to be enrolled and should be allowed to do so.
I'd like to see if my daughter can enroll.
My father was 31/32. I’m part white, so I believe I’m just under half of part Native. My child's mother is white,
so I’m assuming my daughter is just under the 1/4 and unfortunately doesn’t meet the enrollment eligibility.
My family's blood quantum was raised to full, so that would have made me 1/2 and all my children 1/4.
According to MCT, I can't get my youngest child enrolled. She's missing out of all the benefits my other
children have.
I would like to see the children added to the enrollment. It would also be nice if they could get some health
care.
I think they should open enrollment to our children.
I received an acknowledgment letter stating they know that I have two biological children, but they are not
eligible.
They told me my two children were one point off to be eligible. A lady there told me to keep trying; they will
eventually accept them. That they do that all the time.
I just don't understand why Red Lake blood is not included in our blood, because we are all Chippewa. My
grandchildren are just a little bit away from being enrolled, but can't get no help from the reservation.
Housing is the hardest for my grandchildren.
I think if you're an Indian, you're an Indian, no matter what your quantum is. I have grandchildren who are
not enrolled, because they have no quantum. I don't believe what Washington says about your quantum.
Don't get me going! My grandchildren go to college but can't get financial help, because they're “not Indian".
Getting any type of help for college or education – all of a sudden that goes out the door!
I know it's 1/4, and it's hard. I have several great-grandchildren and grandchildren, and they're not eligible to
be on the role, except for a few - six of them - but the rest weren't. They said they didn't have enough blood
quantum, so that meant they had less than 1/4. (opinions about that?) I always thought if you were Indian,
you were Indian, you know? I didn't think they should go by a quantum. That's my opinion.
My father was full-blood Leech Lake Ojibwe; my mother had a little of something else, that is unknown to
me, making me almost full (243/256). Just that fast, my own grandchildren cannot be enrolled in Leech
Lake. All my grandchildren were born here and raised here, and when I and my children are gone, my
grandchildren will have no place as home any longer. Why do we as Ojibwe, or any other tribe, have to have
a pedigree?? Like dogs or horses!!!! We are the only people in the world with a pedigree. Very
depressing/oppressing.
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It’s like we are the last true family to go moose hunting. It’s been a family tradition since 1989. Traditions
are not being passed down the way they used to be. My grandchildren can’t hunt with us, because the tribe
won’t give them a license. You have to be a certain blood quantum to get a license. We are losing this
tradition, because all they can do is watch us.
No, I don't have any comments or questions. My children are barely enough, but my grandchildren aren't,
because they married white, which brought their blood quantum down. I had one granddaughter come up
here one summer, and I could have put her into the college. The tribe would have paid for her college, but
her parents chose to send her back to Kansas, where her parents went to college. I know they helped me at
one time with a child issue, the tribe did, and represented me on a grandchild. I have nothing bad to say
about the tribe. Now that we have a new chairman, she's slowly, slowly, slowly turning things around, but
it's going to take her a while to turn things around from the old chairman. I know that our tribe is very, very
broke, but I don't understand why. (other opinions about enrollment criteria?) I know a lot of people are
trying to change it where they'll accept under 1/4, but I don't know. That would be spreading us pretty darn
thin. I realize that we have married outside - you know, I did - I was raised in Kansas, so I never met any
Chippewa or Native American people. I seen 'em, but just the Oklahoma Natives.
No, I'm glad they're making a survey of it, though. (Anything else?) My grandchildren are 1/8, so they're not
eligible for the education benefits or anything. It'd be nice if they were - it'd be easier for them to go to
college.
It saddens me to think that my grandchildren will not have enough blood quantum to become a member of
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. My sons will be the last for my family.
Both my children have children. I believe all but one is – I don't believe he is enrolled. He is an eighth and,
um, I'm not really sure if he would be eligible for school, or if he'd be able to get enrolled. But I would like
him to be enrolled and participate in some of the programs.
I'm glad this is being looked into, as my Grandson is close to being enrolled but not enough blood quantum.
Since my kids are 1/4, they are enrolled. But my grandkids, they're 1/8. I don't think they recognize that.
(Should they?) I don't know. The 1/8, you would have to ask me that later. It all depends on how they vote
at the tribe. (Any opinions?) No, that's all.
None of my children are enrolled with any tribe. How can I see if I can get them enrolled with my tribe
(Grand Portage)?
Because I am not sure of my grandmother on my father's side’s blood quantum. I am sure there is more
Native blood. I truly believe, if the law is not changed soon, there will not be many enrolled Natives,
especially from my reservation, and the reservation will be gone – it will die out. I would like to see either
the blood quantum lowered to 1/8 – or open enrollment, where, no matter what the quantum is, as long as
you have any blood quantum, you are eligible to be enrolled in your reservation.
There shouldn't be a blood quantum. In the near future, we won't have a tribe, with the losing of our elders
and youth due to overdoses and suicides. We have children that live and believe in their culture, but cannot
become a member – because the government established a blood quantum, not our people. It's time to
correct the wrongs of the government. They tried to exterminate our people, but could not do it. Now it's
time to change this to descendancy. We have some children in the same family that are band members,
and some not. As for my family, my brother and I were sterilized as wards of the court, so here the
government did accomplish their intent!!
I feel that if we keep with this eligibility criteria, there could soon be very few natives eligible to enroll. We
might have to go to using descendancy to keep enrollment open to others.
This should be changed, as the Grand Portage Band is getting smaller, and soon there will not be enough
members to qualify as a band. It should be open by generation to generation, not blood quantum.
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Keep it at 1/4. People trying to get enrolled under 1/4 will overload the Higher Education criteria and Health
Services. You do not see the blue eyed and blonde, under 1/4 at Pow Wows, or claiming they are Native.
They only want to enroll so they can use Higher Ed and Health Services. I have worked in Education for
close to 30 years, which includes enrollment numbers. I see some tribes include other tribes' blood
quantum to up the blood quantum. Don't feel sorry for someone because they do not have enough Native
blood to enroll. They should be told before marrying a white or non-Native that they will be under 1/2 for
their children to become enrolled. If 70-80 years from now, there won't be any Natives, that’s because they
are having children who are non-Native. If you are only doing this to get more money from the federal
government and not benefiting any tribal members but the tribe itself.
In Fond du Lac, the administrator and the enrollment woman were nothing but an obstacle to enrolling my
daughter. They dallied around for two years. I don't know why. She has the same blood as my boy. They
lie. They tell you to send out something else (other paperwork). They said they didn't get it, and I know I
sent it. I faxed it. They don't hardly talk to me. They would only talk to my daughter, if she could get them.
The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs)... was talking to the BIA, and she said Fond du Lac was well-known as
being obstinate. The blood quantum criteria are a way for the government to eliminate the Indian nation.
They never let up. The tribe can take in 1/8 blood quantum if they want to. The tribe can take in a 1/16, but
the U.S. Government has 1/4 as blood quantum, but that don't affect the regulations on the government
side. [xxxxx] at Fond du Lac, she knows more than I do, a heck of a lot more. She has talked to me about it.
She's 1/4 blood, too. She's my relative.
Well, our son is enrolled there (the MCT), and then they cut the date off so my daughter isn't, and I would
like it if she could be in the Minnesota one, but she was born in 1963. Because a lot of the elders are
passing away, and if they're born after that, the tribe will get littler if they don't enroll anymore. And my
daughter's son is enrolled in Bad River and he's 30 years old. (anything else?) Nothing that I can think of,
except that, you know, they should have more people, and open up the enrollment.
If they want to exist in the next 50 to 100 years, I believe they need to change it, yes. If they do, I would like
to enroll my son. He doesn't meet the current requirements.
My grandchildren have blood from their grandfather on their mother's side, but they won't let them have
access to their birth certificates to prove their lineage. There will be no more Indians in our family, which
saddens me and actually makes me sick. We have raised our children and grandchildren to be proud to be
Indian, and live and follow the Indian way in all phases of their lives. I pray that something will be done
about this. It is crucial that it is done ASAP.
I believe it’s time each reservation make up its own mind on how they should deal with enrollment of their
own people. Grand Portage is such a small group that in the next 30 or so years, there won’t be enough
band members. So I think it’s time for the band members that have un-enrolled grandchildren to be able to
enroll them for the sake of carrying on. The future of Grand Portage depends on it.
My concern is that, with both my parents being 100% Canadian First Nation, that only my mother's ties to
Minnesota tribal membership is applied. I have always been told by my elders that I am an Indian and to be
proud. They never mentioned 1/8th Indian. I am concerned that my family's Indian heritage has not, in the
USA, been passed on to my sons, and even more concerning, none to my grandchildren. Our peoples will
vanish without review of measures that identify us as Indian people. Federal governments will enjoy, once
again, eliminating us, not through wars, poverty, and social issues, but through a bureaucracy that we
participate in.
Is it in our best interest to open it to everyone else with 1/8 blood quantum? Or is it that we do not have
enough funds? The federal government always tends to want to get out of the Indian business, and this
blood quantum is their way to get rid of us all together. It's a government thing. They did the same during
slavery – they said having one drop of African blood made them a slave, and that was good for the
government back then to have many slaves to do the work. Now, they measure to have less Indians, which
is good for them now - less money to pay.
Conceivably, there will no longer be enrolled tribal members, as blood quantum fractions diminish!
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I have concerns about local tribes and bloodlines fading towards extinction...is this survey hoping to address
concerns like this?
I think that the pickle the MCT is in with whom they accept as enrolled, the faster the population is going to
decrease. There will be nobody left, because it's not physically possible to keep the blood quantum up
without intermarriages.
Why are they doing this study? There is going to be a time when they do run out of blood. This is actually
pretty good, that they are doing this survey. I can understand why they are doing this.
This type of enrollment is only good for those with the Blood Quantum number. It will dwindle as each
generation comes, which then makes no one eligible. Which in turn will make the Tribal members “extinct"
and will only leave "Direct Descendants."
It will be hard to keep the Grand Portage enrollment going in 20 years from now without some kind of
change, due to the loss of all the Baby Boomers by then.
We need to re-examine how this is done. How they do it now, we will be eliminated, and no one will be able
to be enrolled on any reservation.
Well, we need to change this, because this is genocide, killing off our people slowly. Soon, there will be no
Aboriginal Natives in North America.
Blood quantum is slowly decreasing as each generation marries non-Native Americans. I highly
recommend the eligibility criteria be re-examined in the future, to preserve our culture and the longevity of
our people.
I think they should do something about it now, because soon there won't be enough Native blood in the
Native community for anyone to be enrolled. Looking ahead, they will have to do something about it.
If we continue to use 1/4 blood quantum, we may find ourselves with no one who would be eligible in the
future.
Our people marry interracial/tribal. If things do not change, blood quantum will be our demise.
I think it's not beneficial to our tribe, the way it's set up, because the enrollment records aren't necessarily
true. Many elders lied about their enrollment to sell their land, so many defendants aren't showing their true
blood quantum on paper. (anything else?) I think it would be beneficial to lower the blood quantum to 1/8.
If they did, my children would be able to be enrolled, which they should be. That's it.
My mother is from the Leech Lake tribe, which is how my bloodline of 1/2 has been determined. Enrollment
is determined by the mother's lineage. My father is from the Red Lake tribe, and I was told I wouldn't be
able to enroll in his tribe, because of the matriarchal rule. Even though I'm full-blooded Chippewa, I will be
recognized as only 1/2 Chippewa. Why?
My father was of the Bad River Tribe, and my mother from Minnesota. I'm considered 1/1 in Michigan and
Wisconsin. If enrollment should change that would make my son go from 1/4 to his true 1/2 heritage.
Thanks for whatever decision is made.
My grandfather is from Bad River Tribe and my grandmother is from Grand Portage. I'm considered 1/2
quantum, but since my grandmother is from Minnesota, I'm only considered 1/4.
An Indian is an Indian. My Grandfather was orphaned, and more research needs to be done to verify blood
quantum.
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X was recently dis-enrolled from MCT, as X did not have an original certification from the State of MN to
verify his father, as his Birth Certificate showed another name than his father. The birth certificate we had
for him was from 79 to 94 showed only his last name of [xxxxx]. By the time I learned of this, time had
expired to request a hearing, as they wanted original documents, which X didn’t have. I later found an
original document dated in 1994, but too late to request a hearing. In 1997, his birth certificate had been
altered and showed [yyyyy] as his father. We never had blood tests, and I had taken him to court back in the
70's. His name never showed up on X’s birth certificate until 1997. His father signed paperwork in 1979 and
claimed X. He passed away in 1990. X should still be eligible to be enrolled in MCT, if my blood quantum
would be allowed from Wisconsin. My father passed away in 2005 and was enrolled in Lac Courte Oreille,
WI. My brother was enrolled at different times, in WI and MN. He passed away in 1999. I should be 1/2 or
more Chippewa, depending on what my blood quantum is from WI.
In my eyes, I'm ½, and my kids are 1/4...Seems like some easy way to shave an entire generation out of
registration!
I currently have two younger brothers and several cousins not enrolled, due to birth dates after 1961 when
the blood quantum requirements changed. Also, I’m unsure about my quantum being right, in that we have
found out that my grandfather (mother's father - who was adopted - and enrolled but not with the right blood
quantum or tribal affiliation as far as we can tell).
Just an FYI. The blood quantum is wrong. It is lower than it should be. Back when the government was
buying land back from the Natives, my grandfather, who is the son of full-blood Ojibwe mother and father,
was forced to say he was half-white in order to sell his land when he turned 18, so I should be 1/2 Ojibwe.
My mother is full-blood, my father is Swedish, me 1/2. Now my daughters have been researching these
facts and found out this information is the same as what we have known for a long time, and my mother has
tried for years to have it corrected.
My grandmother is 1/2 Ojibwe and 1/2 Sioux. My husband's grandmother was adopted, and her correct
blood quantum was not recorded. According to correct blood quantum, all my children would be enrolled
members. Her father was from Bena. Can this be fixed?? On the form, I will not give quantums for my
children, because they are not correct.
Well, I'm not sure what my blood quantum would be for Red Lake, but I'm not sure why they wouldn't count
that. They've got me down for 3/8 for Leech Lake, but everyone on my dad's side is Red lake. I don't know
why they don't take that into consideration, not that that's a bad thing, but I'm as dark as everyone else.
(anything else?) Nope, that's it.
I'm going to be honest with you - we tried to enroll our first daughter 20 years ago, my sister and I did. But
they denied them, so we never tried again with the others. There was something that we weren't sure of
when we tried to enroll our daughters – that was that our father was a full-blooded Indian, and that would
make us 50% on his side. We never understood why our daughters were denied, if it were 1/4 blood. That
was the only question we had, 20 years ago.
31/32? 15/16? I should be 32/32.
My grandfather and my Grandmother were both full, but unfortunately, to maintain his job position, he had to
drop his name from the rolls. My mother was full, and yet, because of my grandfather having to do what he
had to do, I am only considered 1/4, and my daughter is only considered 1/8. I feel that this is very
unfortunate for me and my daughter. Thank you.
I think they should be over ¼, and anything under shouldn't be eligible. I see a lot of white people, that
should not be enrolled, using all of our funds.
1. I have a lot of documentation that proves that our blood quantum is incorrect. I know that I have 3/16 of
blood quantum.
2. It would be nice to have more services in Anoka and Sherburne counties, because we have to drive four
hours per month there, and 4 hours back, just to go pick up our medication. We were told we could only
pick up one month's worth at a time.
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Wilder Research, May 2014
It seems there are people being enrolled at Bois Forte who are not 1/4. How can this be?
They have turned a lot of Indians into white people with this blood quantum.
I have noticed other members with less blood quantum, and their children are allowed to be enrolled and
enjoy benefit and assistance, so much needed for all children of Ojibwe descendants.
There is some question on one of my great-grandparents - so we are considered less than it is, actually. I
am closer to ½, as my father was all American Indian.
I would suggest DNA testing for blood quantum for enrollment purposes.
My children’s father is an enrolled member of Red Lake Nation. His blood is unaccounted for. I hope
someday this can be changed.
I think my father is part of Red Lake. If they were combined, it would make them enough....
I believe my blood quantum would be greater if my mother had her father’s blood quantum taken into
consideration, as he was a member of another MTC tribe.
I had tried to enroll my grandchildren. However, the blood quantum that my son's father is not eligible!! So I
was very disappointed that his blood quantum could not be found!! :-((
My grandmother and grandfather were full-bloods – but were made to sign off that they were not. My
children should be 1/4 as I should be 1/2.
My grandmother has never been recognized as a member of the Ojibwe tribe. My family has tried in the
past and has been turned down. Her mother was a member of the Ojibwe tribe. We have no information of
grandmother's father.
My mother has been trying to enroll my nieces and nephews. She has been told her mother's parents have
Native blood. But, my great grandfather is not listed on her birth certificate. So we don't have his degree of
blood. So my nieces and nephews are only descendants. My opinion ..the enrollment should be changed.
You, MCT, have our blood quantum wrong.
My dad has some Oklahoma Indian blood, I’ve been told
My mother is the enrolled parent. However, I have a letter from the Dept of Interior to social services
regarding the well-being of my father as a child. This letter indicates my father was of Indian blood.
I am questioning my quantum. I believe only one side of the family tree has been figured in, which would
affect family quantum. Thanks.
I have been trying to get my grandfather's blood quantum, and no-one will give or look that information up
(Bureau of Indian Affairs, MCT, relatives).
The only thing I've ever had a problem with is that our blood quantum is probably more than is on record,
because of property owner's rights issues.
I've got two grandkids from my oldest daughter, and they can't get enrolled, because they're not enough, so
it's kind of hard, you know. I understand the 1/4, but I guess what I don't understand is there's an awful lot
of enrolled members that are not 1/4, but they were enrolled before that went into effect. So what I don't
understand is, why are they still enrolled, if that's the case, or were they grandfathered in? If it's gonna be
1/4, then it should be that across the board. I would want my grandchildren from my oldest daughter to be
enrolled. (anything else?) Even if a person or a child is 1/8 native, we accept them, we accept them as full.
So my opinion is that I would think 1/8 would be enough, if they could prove it.
My mother is of the Navajo Nation, and she has married a band member of Bois Forte, which has passed
on, and that leaves her without help from the Reservation. Plus one of my nephews are not eligible for
enrollment – that leaves him without any Reservation to receive services for. I feel that the Reservation can
claim people for grant purposes, but when it comes time for them to receive help or services, they are turned
away. My mother is registered as full blood Navajo Nation, and my blood is not counted along with my
children. But I would like to see that other blood quantums are counted, not just MCT. My 2 older kids have
different blood quantums - I don't know why.
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
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Wilder Research, May 2014
(Any comments about blood quantum requirement?) I was just wondering why they're trying to figure out
the blood quantum and stuff, and if it's going to change or anything? The thing that I don't understand is why
they say that if you adopt a child or something, they can join the tribe. We have people up here who don't
look Native but are members of the tribe. I don't understand that.
I was found to be 13/32 blood. I was 1/4. I am enrolled, so my kids' blood went from 1/8 to 1/4, and I still
can’t get them enrolled. They were denied, and it wasn’t my fault that they found out my grandmother was
full-blood Chippewa. So that changed all of our blood quantum. I was enrolled at 1/4, so my kids should be
enrolled at 1/4 like I was. I am now 13/32.
The comment that I wanted is about the blood quantum, like the father. My dad's father is Indian, and why
they're not taking him as part of the blood quantum because that would make me more Indian. I'm not 1/4
Indian, I'm more than 1/4. (who said you were 1/4) The Minnesota tribe said I was only 1/4, but I'm not 1/4.
I'm more than 1/4, because my mother and father are both Indian, and his mother and father are both
Indian, and that should make my blood quantum higher. (anything else?) If my children would be eligible
for the Minnesota Chippewa tribe, if my blood quantum was higher, they've got me at Kiwani Bay as 9/16,
because my dad and his parents were both Indian, and my mother was Indian, my blood quantum should be
higher than 1/4. And it's higher, should be higher.
I would like to know if my children can be enrolled. I don't know the criteria, and I'm sure there's a formula,
but where can I get that?
I would like to know if my children qualify to become a member. I would like to know my blood quantum,
and how they figured that out.
My children were denied members of MLBO because their blood quantum was less than 1/4...I remember
looking into a band member file when we were at the office that my mother worked for I believe in 1974. My
cousin and I found our blood quantum to be 7/12, which we asked someone (now deceased) and my mother
if it was true 7/12 Native blood. "That means we are more than half"..."yes" but then in the 80's I was told
different. How is the blood quantum determined? Miigwetch
I think the current enrollment eligibility should be changed, because unless we are mixing with family, our
blood will eventually become zero, right?
My eldest child has MCT – Leech Lake blood from me and Red Lake blood from her dad. I cannot get her
enrolled in either tribe, but yet HER daughter was able to get enrolled in Red Lake...How is that???
One-quarter blood quantum isn't exactly true. I understand from reading the MCT constitution why I'm
eligible at 3/16, but I don't think it makes sense that I have a brother and sister who aren't eligible because
of their birthdates.
I would like to know how they came up with these fractions of blood quantum, because my grandparents
were 100% blood quantum, and my mom went to 29/32 blood quantum, and her kids went 29/64.
The only comment is I'm number 7 out of 10 kids. My other sisters' children qualify as enrolled, because
they're at least 1/4. They get it, and I don't, but it all came from the mother's side of the family. I met my
birth family in 1984. If we have different fathers, that should make mine good too. My mother was married
to X, and my sisters' kids qualify as 1/4.
I find it exceptionally difficult to understand, out of a family of 5 siblings, how 3 are enrolled and the other 2
are not, yet there are members who are enrolled and not blood related?
I know a lot of my cousins who were born later in the 60's that weren't registered. (Any opinions?) Well, you
know, I don't know how they figure all that stuff out. I thought it was kind of messed up, because me and my
cousin were the last ones who could be enrolled. I didn't understand why her younger siblings weren't
enrolled in the tribe, it seemed kind of strange. (anything else?) I'm happy to be a part of it.
I don't understand the blood quantum. It's messed up if you ask me.
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Population Projections Methodology Report
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Wilder Research, May 2014
The answer on the quantum is, “I don't”. With my enrollment, my grandmother was the only blood quantum
used. With my Grandfather not listed on my blood quantum. Grandfather has more quantum blood then
Grandmother. I really have no idea. If you find out, please let me know.
If grandfather from Red Cliff was 1/2 or better, and grandmother from Fond du Lac is 1/2 or better, would I
be more than 1/4?
Because historical records were so poorly managed, it is difficult to determine true blood quantum for Native
Americans. Currently, it is next to impossible to find the proper Dept./individual to assist in this endeavor.
Where are the records for descendants to investigate?
No, I don't. (any opinion on the enrollment criteria?) I don't know. Lower it, higher it. I don't know. I guess
I don't really understand it.
I am not sure how my blood quantum was quantified. Could a non-blood person become a MCT, if the rules
were changed?
My adult sons claim their Chippewa heritage, yet you do not recognize them. That's sad.
Will child #1 and #2's blood quantum change, since mine was changed to full-blood?
There are many people who claim to be Indian people, but they aren’t – they do not have the blood quantum
required. (anything else?) When you are adopted, you don't know where you came from and what your
blood quantum is – now you don't know your children's blood quantum. Where can I go to find out?
Well, for one, my sons have different blood quantums – they have the same parents.
I am 1/8 Chippewa and 1/8 Sioux, so I don’t know what that would make my child.
What would be my children's blood quantum
Yes, the enrollment year should be changed, because there are a lot of people that are not enrolled.
I understand that enrollment criteria may need to change in the future, to ensure tribal numbers. Perhaps it
could be done by moving the enrollment years up – the cut-off year for enrollment, for example.
MCT tribe, they go by the years, not the blood. My kids gave their sister a lot of flack, because she is
enrolled and they are not. 1/16 as long as they are children of an enrolled member. They came out with a
letter a while back about this. A lot of the bigger tribes have smaller enrollment. Grand Portage is smaller.
Bigger places have bigger revenue from casinos. They want things to stay the same. After 1960, my
second two children were denied, because they weren't born on the reservation. That is discrimination.
What happens to people with kids born after 1960, who are not eligible or registered because they aren't on
the reservation? Give me a break. That isn't right. What is the blood quantum to be a member? Can you
tell me? My grandmother was a princess. I'm very proud of my heritage. The mural in Grand Portage has
them in it in their visitor's area at the old fort. My grandmother and her mother and the chief in the mural.
My family goes back to the 1700's. Gave X’s #, because he is following the subject closely. Every other year
since 1962, he has sent a letter to get his younger 2 children enrolled, but was denied. He has the proof!
I do have 3 siblings that were not able to be registered, due to their date of birth. Has this date been
modified that would allow them to be enrolled? Their birth dates are xxxxx (twins) and xxxxx.
My daughters are just under the criteria of 1/4. I believe they said they were xxx, and I was xxx. My mother
is at 7/8.
Child #1 - father is an enrolled band member of Red Lake - his name is xxxxx (DOB xxxxxx). My daughter
is enrolled with my reservation. Child #2 - father is xxxxx of Red Lake Indian Reservation (DOB xxxxx). My
son is enrolled with Mille Lacs. Child #3 - father is xxxxx of Red Lake Indian Reservation (DOB xxxxx). My
child is enrolled with Mille Lacs.
Not really, I don't know anything about that. (Anything?) One-quarter, that's the highest I ever heard
anywhere. Is every tribe doing this? Because some people are 1/6 or 1/8. I think the majority of them guys
go white; they have
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