<p>I am caucasian, my husband is Metis. Metis is one of the First Nations Peoples of Canada. He used to be registered as Metis, but laws changed and due to an adoption and lack of marital records my husband is no longer registered as such. But that doesn’t change the heritage.</p>
<p>Anyway, my daughter is 1/8 Native, but we have no documentation or enrollment numbers. She does consider herself as Native American, and enjoys some aspects of the First Nation way of life.</p>
<p>Without enrollment numbers etc, can she still mark Native American on her applications? We don’t want to mark it as such, and then have them require proof and not be able to give it to them.</p>
<p>I’d say she can’t. 1/8 blood and no paperwork is like making things up.
You could try but that lay thing you want is a college trying to identify why you labeled yourself as such with official papers…</p>
<p>If you can document that she has participated in Metis education/cultural programs (language, history, dance, etc.), then I think you should check “mixed race” or “other” and use the field generally given to provide a short explanation.</p>
<p>Does your daughter really represent her heritage, and does she add an element of a culture through her upbringing, perspective, mores, view point etc that might otherwise be lacking at the BS?</p>
<p>That is, in my understanding, the reason for any preference for an ethnic background. If she can realistically claim this it seems reasonable to use. If not i would think, and hope, an AO could see through the claim and call BS.</p>
<p>Only you and she can know this answer to this.</p>
<p>@kidsparent: I agree. That’s why I noted that if the child has been involved with her native heritage via classes/programs (and hopefully for a few years), to me that’s enough. I am not an AO, of course, nor do I play one on TV.</p>
<p>Don’t tie yourself up in knots trying to decide what an admissions officer will think of your daughter’s ethnic background. In your place, I would opt to describe it, and let the school decide whether it’s significant.</p>
<p>If your husband’s background includes a similar adoption-to-a-white-couple, don’t let it stand in the way of your daughter describing her family background accurately.</p>
<p>If I recollect correctly, Warren is 1/32 native, and she had a hard time during her re-election campaign not because she didn’t have documentation, but because she didn’t look like a native, and in politics appearances and perceptions can make or break.</p>
<p>OP’s daughter is 1/8 Metis, two generations closer to natives, so she might look like a native compared to Warren. Unlike colleges/universities, I’m not sure BS in general have any official affirmative action policy because they don’t receive much, if any at all, federal funding. I do understand many BS value diversity and try to build a community of diverse race, culture, regions/nations, talent, etc. So my take on how race could work in OP’s favor is whether OP’s daughter is able to demonstrate her heritage through appearance, culture, ethnic experience, etc. during admission processes (i.e., interviews, essays). After all, if her native heritage has been part of her life, she should be able to share something. I suspect simply checking a race ID box at the end of candidate profile questionnaire will do much.</p>
<p>SharingGift,
Your 2c is valuable indeed! Being a member of a First Nations group would certainly make a big difference in admissions. While there is no official policy, most bs value diversity very much and identifying members of URM groups who rarely apply is very difficult for schools. Having an applicant with your daughter’s background "land’ on their doorstep would be valued and help her chances. That being said, she would still need to meet a school’s standards for admission and the AO’s would need to feel that she could thrive at the school. I have known several students with Native heritage who attended boarding schools, almost all have gone on to Dartmouth, a college who values native Diversity in a way that few others do. [Native</a> American Community](<a href=“Home | Dartmouth Admissions”>Home | Dartmouth Admissions)</p>
<p>Thank you for everyone that took the time to answer.</p>
<p>D’s great-grandfather was adopted straight off the reserve, and given an “English” name and life. My husbands whole family (some of whom still live on the reserve and claim full blood status) live aspects of their lives with the presence of heritage in mind. D used to go to the native friendship center and pow wow’s with her Grandmother who has since passed, and admittedly she hasn’t been around it was much since.</p>
<p>And yes, you can look at her and know she is Native American. I think after these replies we will mark the box how my daughter feels we should rather than worry about paper trails. If we need to, at least we can prove she has family that currently have legal status even if she doesn’t.</p>
<p>If her family has legal status, I would think their documentation would be sufficient as I’m sure you can prove her relationship to them? There’s paper, then there’s blood, right?</p>