Understanding Your Native American Ancestry: Calculating Percentages and Enrollments

Understanding your Native American ancestry can be a fascinating and sometimes confusing endeavor. When you have a great-grandmother on one side who is full-blooded Cherokee and another great-grandmother who is full-blooded Choctaw, you might wonder exactly what percentage of Native American ancestry you have. This article provides a detailed explanation of how to calculate your ancestry percentage and the complexities of tribal enrollments.

Calculating Your Ancestry Percentage

To calculate your percentage of Native American ancestry from your great-grandmothers, follow these steps:

Great Grandmother Cherokee:
She is 100% Cherokee.

Great Grandmother Choctaw:
She is 100% Choctaw.

Since these are your great-grandmothers, you, as a great-grandchild, inherit 1/8 or 12.5% from each great-grandparent.

Calculation:

From your Cherokee great-grandmother: 100 × 1/8 12.5%

From your Choctaw great-grandmother: 100 × 1/8 12.5%

Total: 12.5% 12.5% 25%

Therefore, you are 25% Native American, 12.5% Cherokee, and 12.5% Choctaw.

Legal and Tribal Recognition

It's important to note that while the above calculation gives an understanding of your theoretical ancestry, legal and tribal recognitions might differ. For example, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) typically recognizes blood quantum on a tribal-by-tribal basis. This means they only count blood quantum from the tribe you are enrolled in.

Based on the calculation above, your legal blood quantum would be:

1/8 12.5%

Enrollment and Tribal Membership:

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma:
They will allow enrollment if you are from any of the other Federally Recognized (FR) Choctaw tribes. However, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians does not enroll adults, and descendants of the Cherokee Nation must prove their ancestry from the Cherokee Nation to be eligible for enrollment.

Therefore, if you are a descendant of the Cherokee Nation, but not part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, you should apply for membership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Common Misconceptions and Confusions

It's common for people to have questions and misconceptions regarding full-blooded status. For instance, if you have a great-grandmother that is full-blooded Cherokee, it's typically assumed that her parents were also full-blooded, but this might not always be the case. Here's an example:

You mentioned a full-blooded great-grandmother, but what if she was only 1/8 Cherokee? If you have an ancestor like Mahala Jane Jones who was 1/8 Cherokee, and you are descended from her, your Cherokee blood would be 1/8 of your total ancestry. This can happen for several reasons, including intermarriage, loss of records, or other historical factors.

Understanding these complexities can help you better navigate the process of tracing and validating your Native American ancestry. It's also crucial to engage with tribes and organizations that can provide more personalized and detailed information about enrollment and recognition.