Question by spencer: My dad is possibly Cherokee and my mom is of European ancestry?
With that said, what would it mean if my dad was “adopted” by the Crow Nation in Montana? He went on a Quest with an organization called Vision Quest and it was either on that trip or another one where he told me that he got “adopted” by the tribe. His tribal name is Buffalo Stares At Buffalo. Since he is technically apart of the tribe does this mean that I am, someone who has never been to this reservation and has never met any of the Crow Nation?
Best answer:
Answer by sechet
if you are under 18 you can be part of the tribe if your dad decides you are. but otherwise its your choice, and you can be appart of it if you choose so.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Being “adopted” means nothing. To be accepted as a member of a tribe you must be able to prove linage to the Dawes Rolls. If you believe he may be Cherokee You need to check out the Cherokee nation official site. It appears the only to be recognized as a cherokee is to be able to prove linage to someone on the Dawes rolls. Good luck, I have been working on that for 20 years and still haven’t been able to prove the connection. Who was John Dotson, the name appears on the Dawes Rolls, but because most of the family didn’t claim to be Cherokee, it has been impossible to prove my relationship to him. Also it was not unusual for people who were mixed to claim Mulatto instead of Indian. It has only been in the last 15 or so years that it has become popular to be Native American. Also don’t expect benefits, or money – very few actually receive anything these days.
I to have been accepted but that doesn’t mean I am a member of the tribe
Adoption means nothing. You must be enrolled and his enrollment would not necessarily guarantee your enrollment with some tribes because of their blood quantum qualifications. Nevertheless, if this is of interest to you and you are not expecting great monetary gains, you should definitely check into it.
I am one of the more fortunate ones, in that, my great grandfather was enrolled in his tribe and many of my relatives are currently enrolled. I am eligible but I have no real connection with the tribe and am not near the reservation so I have chose not to enroll at this time.