Some thoughts on being an American Indian by birth, not by government fiat

Many years ago, my Granddad was an American Indian living in Oklahoma, just after statehood. From what I hear, he wasn't too keen on being associated with other American Indians other than just being part of the group. To him, people were people, but he was quite disgusted with the rampant alcoholism and other moral hazards abused by his fellow Indians. It was always assumed by my family that his lack of wearing his race on his sleeve had a lot to do with the discrimination against Indians at the time. That undoubtedly had a lot to do with it, but being a transplant into Oklahoma, from Missouri where my Granddad migrated to, I am finding another side to it.

I have joined groups, or looked into joining groups of American Indians here in Oklahoma. What I find invariably in those groups is quite disturbing to me. As it turns out, I am treated like an outsider, as those groups are generally regarded as card carrying groups only. I have been told that I am not Indian. I have been told I don't look Indian enough (neither did my Granddad who was full blooded, nor my mother who is half). I have been told by a woman who is far less Indian than I am that my Granddad "renounced his tribal citizenship."

Tribal citizenship, as it exists now, is a construct of the White Man. In the past, tribal "citizenship" was heritage. Many Indians didn't get their "citizenship" roll numbers (my Granddad and his family were among them); whereas many white Sooners got Indian roll numbers by deceit in order to get free land. I get labeled as not being Indian by people who don't have a drop of Indian blood in them. Any more, being Indian isn't about culture, history, or heritage, but about who got that roll number regardless of their family heritage.

These same people, who treat that card from the White Man as the pinnacle of Indian achievement, label themselves and other Indians as "Native Americans," which is an offensive, politically correct term that was fabricated by white people. Why other Indians embrace that term so much is perplexing to me.

It saddens me that Indians have been reduced to people discriminating against other Indians to get ahead, and our culture and customs have been reduced to purveyors of moral hazards.

I was excited to be moving to Oklahoma and learn something more of my heritage, and perhaps meet others in my tribes or even long lost relatives. I am 1/4 Indian, but it's from two tribes. One of those tribes, the Cheyenne, won't even take me because you have to be at least 1/4 of their tribe. This leaves out many people who are Indian to a large degree, but of mixed tribal heritage. The other tribe I am descended from, Ponca, takes people who are at least 1/8, but they still won't take me because my Granddad's family didn't see the value in another one of White Man's tricks, go figure. Further, they go by strict simplified Mendelian genetics to determine this, which is often inaccurate, especially when it comes to race. If this is what my Granddad experienced when he lived here around the time of the rolls, then I really can't blame him for getting the Hell out. No wonder our culture is disappearing fast.