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I'm not native but I once worked for a few years for the Native American Studies Department of a large western flagship state U so I have some small knowledge base in this area. I think different tribes have different requirements for tribal enrollment as far as the percentage of native blood called for. East Coast Tribes have generally been in longer contact with Europeans during colonial times often with more inter marriage. They might require less tribal inheritance to become enrolled, I've heard of tribes that require as little as 1/16th which would qualify you in those cases. For some of these tribes there is an advantage to adding members-for example-if they are trying to reestablish tribal recognition for the entire tribe (many tribes were unrecognized during the 1950s) more members helps their cause. On the other hand if they have reestablished the tribe or never lost tribal status and there are tribal benefits that are being distributed on a per capita basis they could be leary about Johnny Come Latelies who might seem to be wanting to cash in.
Lots of people don't realize how very different the individual tribes' circumstances, politics and cultures are. Whatever you are doing for college, if you have an interest in this part of your heritage you should contact the tribal council and find out what their process is for establishing tribal membership, and if that is not possible at this point, you should be in contact with the tribe to learn more about you great great grandmothers and their culture. If you fit their requirements for tribal enrollment and can establish membership and are genuinely interested in the culture and establishing an affiliation, then it may be ethically OK to check both boxes. Otherwise I think just using it as part of an essay topic, provided it has had some real impact on your identity, is as far as you can ethically go. Most, but not all, Indians I know in the west are not thrilled by the "my native great great grandmother" story, particularly when it is pulled out to cash in in some way. Their histories are incredibly painful. On the other hand-tribes that are trying to reestablish themselves, whose members were scattered or unrecognized decades or even generations ago are eager to trace any and all kin. You need to talk to your tribe to find out where they are at with all this. My guess is that on one level or another they will be glad for your interest provided it is real. Sorry this isn't a simple answer but you really aren't asking as simple a question as you think you are. The bottom line is-you are asking the wrong people by posting this on this board-you need to contact your tribe and talk to the council or the elders, the tribal historian or whoever they point you to to find out more.
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