What is blood quantum?

In this short video, we cover the basics of blood quantum to help you better understand its history and impacts on Native people and nations.
Blood quantum is complicated, controversial, and personal. The most important thing to know about blood quantum? Native nations are sovereign, independent nations. They have the final say when it comes to decisions about blood quantum and citizenship.
Video created by Native Governance Center. Original artwork by Sadie Red Wing (Lakȟóta/Dakȟóta). Voiceover by Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe). Video production by callsign51.

[@TheGrun13]

This is a very informative video. Thank you!

[@pabloantoniomendozamartine6046]

Tha´s really messed up. Like, seriously. I´m sorry if you have to go through that. For a long time, in Mexico, the law required that a person's civil registry indicate if he or she was "Non-Indigena", and from that, he or she received greater benefits. There is still a lot of discrimination against indigenous people in Mexico, but the goberment and the media try to be more "discreet" about it.

[@FirstSkyWalker]

The best way to determine this now, is by testing genetic sequences. I’m certain a lot who make claims to Amerindian heritage, will not be eligible and qualify to call themselves Amerindian. Let’s get it done and get it over with. “All Native American mtDNA can be traced back to five Haplogroups called A, B, C, D, and X. More specifically, Native American mtDNA belongs to sub-haplogroups that are unique to the Americas and not found in Asia or Europe: A2, B2, C1, D1, and X2a (with minor groups C4c, D2, D3, and D4h3)” (Roberta Estes, DNA Explained, November 2016) “Q-M3 and Q-Z780 are the two main Y-chromosome founding lineages of Native Americans.”

[@skellagyook]

Some Natives also have Y haplogroups C and R1.

[@rampantmutt9119]

There was no genetic testing before the 1950s and no blood quantum before European colonialism, so this a nonsensical and ahistorical way of determining who is Indigenous. Determining Indigeneity by "blood" is simply racism. Citizenship, kinship, and connection are more accurate means of determining who is Indigenous.

[@karlos_infamous]

I do not agree with DNA ancestry test. Let's take a step back from the topic. This blood quantum video deals with peoples who are indigenous to the mainland United States (aka American Indians) and Alaska. It DOES NOT cover other indigenous peoples from other parts of the Americas (like Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Canada, etc). These DNA ancestry test does NOT indicate which actual tribe they came from. It is vaguely named "Native American". That ancestry can originate anywhere like Chile, Venezuela, El Salvador, etc. That ancestry does NOT concern tribes that are indigenous to mainland US and Alaska (such as Cherokee, Choctaw, Navajo, Lakota, Ojibwe, Apache, Athabascan, etc) This blood quantum rule only affects tribes indigenous to mainland US and Alaska because these native nations had treaties and a very long history with the US government. With that said, I believe genealogy is the best way to determine one's history and ancestry.

[@FirstSkyWalker]

@@skellagyook It depends on the region. Can you give some examples?

[@FirstSkyWalker]

@@rampantmutt9119 Do you even understand the basics of chemistry? Science and technology advances over time. That’s how it works. For example, you are now typing on a computer or phone (which is a small computer) that is 1000 times faster than any computer in the 1950s. And in fact computer science is in direct correlation with biochemistry. Ever heard of the Moore’s law. It factors the 2nd power each generation (two years). What you think is not relevant, in fact it’s completely irrelevant. And if you feel otherwise I suggest you write a refute paper. Science has so many different fields and disciplines, there is no way you can disprove what you argue about. It’s simply impossible. “Academics analysed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA of Aboriginal Australians and Melanesians from New Guinea. This data was compared with the various DNA patterns associated with early humans. The research was an international effort, with researchers from Tartu in Estonia, Oxford, and Stanford in California all contributing key data and expertise. […] “The results showed that both the Aborigines and Melanesians share the genetic features that have been linked to the exodus of modern humans from Africa 50,000 years ago.“. (Cambridge University, DNA links Aborigines to African walkabout) "There is strong fossil and genetic evidence that modern humans arose in Africa ∼200,000 years ago, with a subset departing the continent much later (∼40,000-80,000 years ago) to populate the rest of the world.1 Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that these migrants exited Africa by the “southern route,” across the Red Sea to Arabia, moving relatively rapidly along the coast to reach Southeast Asia and Australia.2 Indeed, despite its distance from Africa, Australia has some of the earliest reliable evidence of human habitation outside Africa, dating to at least ∼46,000 and probably ∼60,000 years ago" [...] "Analysis of finer population structure in the whole-genome SNP data also indicates that these ancient initial settlers were subsequently isolated and relatively undisturbed by later migrations from the Asian mainland. There is little evidence, for instance, of East Asian ancestry that could be attributed to the Austronesian expansion (beginning ∼5,500 years ago), which impacted, to varying degrees, other indigenous Oceanic (Melanesian and Papuan) populations,18,44,45 nor is there any convincing signal of recent contact between Australia and the Indian subcontinent. The presence of phylogenetically ancient and geographically restricted mtDNA lineages (such as haplogroups S and M42) in Australia together with the absence of Austronesian mtDNA (B4a1a1a) and Y chromosome (O-M110, O-M119, O-M324) lineages supports our whole-genome-based conclusions. The results imply that noted archaeological events, such as the mid-Holocene “intensification” (witnessed by increases in both the complexity and density of stone tools at many archaeological sites46) or the arrival of the dingo,47 were not mediated by substantial amounts of migration from mainland Eurasia. It is clear from the data, however, that this period of apparent long-term isolation was ended by the arrival of European settlers beginning in 1788." (Source: Am J Hum Genet., Whole-Genome Genetic Diversity in a Sample of Australians with Deep Aboriginal Ancestry) “Generally narrower body breaths of the foragers contrast markedy with the wider-bodied agriculturalists. Although bi-iliac breadth has been argued to be stable over long periods of time (Auerbach, 2007), this shift in mean body breath may be indicative of changes correlated with subsistence economy." (Pinhasi & Stock. 2011 Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture) “At the most extreme stage of the last glaciation, most of Canada and much of the northern USA were covered by an ice sheet thousands of metres in thickness. Colder and often drier than present conditions predominated across most of the USA. The eastern deciduous and conifer forests were replaced by more open conifer woodlands with cooler-climate species of pines and a large component of spruce. The open spruce woodland and parkland extended somewhat further west than present, into what is now the prairie zone. As a result of aridity and lowering of sea level (which lowered inland water tables), much of Florida was covered by drifting sand dunes. Notably moister than present conditions occurred across much of the south-west, with open conifer woodlands and scrub common in areas that are now semi-desert.” (J. Adams' reconstruction of North America during last the glacial period - 18,000-15,000 14C ya)

[@MajMat073]

I think genetics would better help in this discussion, nuff said.

[@lLeon44-g7j]

Great video however you did stop short, when you said it traces back to an original enrolled ancestor, and failed to make a extremely important point regarding Blood Quantum. By saying it that way it gives two very false impressions. It assumes that every original enrolled ancestor was a "Full Blood." And thats not true. But irregardles of what Blood quantum the Indian Agent ascribed to the individual American Indian, that process was entirely based on phenotype. So if a Indian Agent had little to no family history on the individual, and even when they did, the agent would just decide/guess that the person was a Full or a 1/2 or a 1/4 and 1/8... Totally and completely made up, fabrication based on appearance. Its all important to point out that when we do go back to the origins of this policy of Blood Quantum, we see it entirely made up. 100% unscientific, and that should matter!!!! My biggest concern is the apparent lack of awarness in regards to the hypocrisy of saying that the europeans imposed the system of blood Quantum on Natives and that the US Government sets the criteria for who is eligible for benefits and then say "Native Nations are Soveriegn". Thats talking out of both sides of your mouth, they can not both be true. You say "They (the Tribes) have the final say when it comes to decisions about Blood Quantum and Citizenship." Thats NOT true. The country of Greece does not tell the country of France who is French nor how to determine who is eligible for membership, if American Indian nations were truly soveriegn they would set their own terms & still be eligible for benefits, IHS... but thats not true, Indian Nations can say that anyone is eligible for tribal membership, however, ONLY those members with CDIB and who are a 1/4 or above are eligible for benefits from the US government, so who is telling who what the terms and conditions are, the US government tells the tribes. NOT as it should be, the other way around, with tribes telling the US Government who is eligible.

[@garytaylor2653]

My name is gary I had a dna test and it came back that my grandparents was Indian blood in me I look like black people to but don't feel like I'm am

[@user-bj7oz7tf9x]

So "my great great great great grandmother was a cherokee princess" is valid now? I guess they're native now? We need blood quantum

[@rampantmutt9119]

This "We construct belonging and citizenship in ways that do not consider these genetic ancestry tests. So it's not just a matter of what you claim, but it's a matter of who claims you." Kim Tallbear

[@duckman2480]

I agree with blood quantum. How can you say you are Native American if you are 1/8 Native American? You aren’t even from there anymore and it probably hasn’t affected your life.