A proposal by the Crow tribal chair could dramatically change who counts as a Crow tribal member under the “blood quantum” standard, a concept created by White settlers and rooted in assimilation tactics .

Blood quantum refers to the fractional amount of tribal affiliation in an individual’s ancestry. It is central to individual identity and highly controversial.

Right now, according to the tribe’s enrollment policy , an individual must “possess one-quarter Crow Indian blood” to enroll as a member of the Crow Tribe. The proposed legislation from Chairman Frank Whiteclay would alter things so that all existing members would be considered as having 100% Crow “blood.” That would change the lives not just of the 14,289 enrolled Crow tribal members but also potentially thousands of descen

See Full Page