"Who Is a Native American"

by Jack Utter

"The term 'Native American' is widely recognized as meaning a person who is of a tribe or people indigenous to the United States. It is most frequently applied to American Indians of the 48 coterminous states, but it also includes Alaska's three ethnological groups - Indians, Eskimos (Inuit), and Aleuts. Native Hawaiians are also considered to be Native Americans."

"Each Indian tribe has eligibility requirements for enrollment...Although these requirements determine tribal membership, they do not necessarily determine who is Indian for other purposes. To be considered an Indian for federal purposes, an individual must have some Indian blood. A non-Indian who is adopted into an Indian tribe is not an Indian under federal law. However, under certain federal laws small amounts of Indian blood, together with recognition as an Indian by the Indian community, will qualify a person as an Indian....The fact that the federal government does not recognize a person as an Indian does not prevent a tribe from considering that person an Indian for tribal purposes. Similarly, lack of tribal membership does not prevent a person from being recognized as an Indian under most federal laws."