In light of DNA testing (23andMe), take the test. If you have 1 fullblooded Native Ancestor within 5 generations (4th great grandparent) you should show some Asian (appears for NA heritage). If you want to enjoy the fantasy, don’t take it. DNA test can show ugly truths.
Talking citizenship and not heritage, there are many tribes that are not federally recognized because they cannot prove as a tribe prior to colonization, no language and cannot prove to be descended from Native American peoples, among other qualifications.
Native American heritage is very unique in that most people today, do not really have it as they believe they were told.
Anyway, with regard to Cherokee’s since it is the tribe de jour there are only 3 federally recognized tribes of Cherokees. They are originally from the Southeast of the US and were driven (with other civilized tribes) west via trail of tears between 1832 and 1839. There Cherokee in NC being the last to leave. The Estrn Band formed from Indians that hide in the mountains. The three tribes are.
Estrn Band Cherokee in NW No. Carolina – Need to be 1/16 BQ
Cherokee Nation in OK – No degree BQ, just trace to the Dawes Roll
Konoohee Band in OK – Need to be 1/4 BQ
There are no Cherokee reservations out in Missouri that are authenticated as Native American tribes, regardless if they are giving out cards or popcorn. There are a lot of Cherokee fake tribes running around and these people have none to maybe few drops if any NA ancestry. They have cards, enrollment etc. American Indians don’t start fake tribes, Europeans clinging to vestiges of NA blood if any, do.
It is a crime to steal heritage from another group of people. This has made a mockery of the Cherokee peoples. We are a Native people with our own culture. I encourage people with actual Cherokee ancestry to learn their heritage.
The point of having a tribe federally recognized is so people with actual American Indian ancestry register with actual members of the Cherokee tribe who are not Europeans but real Indians. There are people that have NA ancestry but cannot prove descent because not every Indian especially on the Southeast of the US registered on the Dawes or Baker Rolls.
Just because a state may recognize a claimed Indians group as a *Tribe* does mean they are authenticating it or the people. If the IBA (Indian Bureau of Affairs) cannot validate this, you are not considered an Indian tribe and you cannot claim legal status as an Indian.
There is nothing wrong with saying, you have Cherokee ancestry or Native American heritage, please do not say are are *part Cherokee*, you are either a Cherokee citizens or you are only of Cherokee heritage.
