| Like I said to Jag. You need to talk to the tribe. Earlier in this thread someone provided the information for what constitutes being an Indian without having tribal affiliation. Different tribes have different enrollment requirements. The colleges don't decide who is an Indian, the individual tribes do. If you have been to a Pow Wow lately you will see lots of people who look like your wife, who are enrolled members. The certificate of Indian blood and the grandfather's continuing envolvement with the Cherokee Nation are the starting point for investigating becoming enrolled members. If your wife and kids are enrolled members, they are Indians in the Tribe's eyes and for all other purposes.
Maybe one way to think about this is to think about who is considered a Jew-if you are Orthodox practically the only way to be a Jew is if your mother is a Jew. The Reform Jews are much more lenient in who they consider to be a Jew. The tribes are the same way and if you have less than a certain amount of native blood the only way to be an Indian, as far as any benefits or bumps in college applications or the like, is to be an enrolled member of a tribe. Unless the colleges are trying to inflate their URM enrollment numbers which I'm sure is possible. Personally I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of either the colleges or individuals gaming the system this way. I think JAG had a good response by very honestly describing his heritage and letting the admissions people decide whether to consider it. I think if you are not enrolled and the adcoms get even a whiff of trying to game the system it would work against you.
These tribal affiliations are to be cherished for how they can broaden your perspective on the world, whether or not they help you get into college. Why not get more involved, I'm sure it would make your wife's grandfather very happy and you would all learn a lot. |