From Removal to Relocation: Native American People Return to Illinois

Among federally-recognized tribes in the U.S., the most common criterion of membership is Blood Quantum—percentage of “Indian Blood”—which gives rise to categories such as “full blood” and “mixed blood”.

Many individuals who would generally be considered (and may consider themselves to be) Euro-American claim also to be “part Indian”--usually the result of having a "Cherokee grandmother or great-grandmother (rarely do they claim to have a Native grandfather...Why do you think that is?).

This leads Cherokee activist and scholar Ward Churchill to ask the question: “Which part?” He continues:

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