The Impact of Blood Quantum Enrollment Requirements on Perceived Tribal Belonging

Abstract

Blood quantum laws, which define Native American identity by an individual's “degree of Indian blood,” are widespread in Native American tribes, yet little is known of their psychological effects. This project investigates the psychological and community impacts of Indian blood quantum enrollment requirements on Native Peoples' perceived tribal belonging, identity, and well-being. When defining tribal membership, blood quantum can determine access to land, cultural knowledge, education, and employment opportunities. Blood quantum requirements can also shape how people understand themselves and their tribal community. Despite its significance, research on the psychological effects of blood quantum enrollment requirements remains scarce; no work on blood quantum has been featured in major social psychology journals. In this study, we are testing the hypotheses that (1) blood quantum enrollment criteria predicts feelings of tribal belonging and (2) enculturation, the extent to which one participates in Native culture, can moderate that relationship by producing feelings of belonging through community engagement. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a survey containing qualitative and quantitative questions relating to enculturation, tribal enrollment status/blood quantum, and feelings of belonging. We recruited 304 Native American participants through the online platform Prolific and by advertising the study through listservs and recruitment flyers. Most participants were enrolled members of their tribe (n = 201), which made analyses difficult due to the unequal group sizes. However, we found significant effects of tribal enrollment on feelings of tribal belonging moderated by enculturation. The qualitative data we collected will begin to help us understand how Native people feel about blood quantum. Future studies will explore this further in focus groups and interviews.