From the liberated guinea pig’s link:
We often get people who end up being 1/116th Native American and other times, we get people who might not be enrolled but who very much identify with their background.
It’s not uncommon for candidates who have no enrollment number but who have demonstrated ties to a Native American heritage to still get a “hook” in the admission process.
College that are interested in truly diversifying their student body will give the most advantage to applicants who seem to be involved with their Native American culture. Many schools, however, simply want to boast of a growing Native American student population and are willing to take your word for it and “count” you, regardless of whether or not you present written proof of your background or demonstrate active engagement.
It’s starting that Yale admissions acknowledges it as an admissions hook but doesn’t bother to verify so long as the candidate “identifies” w that background. What other hooks do they admit by such arbitrary standards? Recruited athletes? Development cases?