URBAN BAND MEMBERS LEARN MORE ABOUT ENROLLMENTS, BLOOD QUANTUM DURING CHIEF EXECUTIVE VISIT

Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin discussing enrollments and blood quantum at an Urban area meeting.

By TOYA STEWART DOWNEY, BAND MEMBER

Ruth Shaugobay has heard a lot about blood quantum and Band enrollment over time, so she was pleased that Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin attended the most recent Urban Area meeting to talk more about that and other topics.

It was, according to Ruth and others who were in attendance, important to hear directly from the Chief Executive about the blood quantum discussions that have captured the attention of Indian Country in recent years.

“She’s very informational, and hearing her talk more about it and answer our questions was very helpful for us,” Ruth said. Her sister, Janice Shaugobay, agreed and added that while her children are enrolled, learning about conversations that are happening regarding potential changes is crucial for all Band members.

The meeting, which was held at the All Nations Indian Church in Minneapolis, attracted about 50 people — a mix of staff from various departments and Band members who had come specifically to learn more and get answers to their questions.

The Chief Executive reviewed the presentation that has been shared for the past several months that included information about the Tribal Executive Committee (TEC) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

She reminded the audience that the TEC has authority over three areas: elections, enrollment, and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe land.

The issues of blood quantum are not new — in fact, many people, including members of the Mille Lacs Band, have been concerned about the one-fourth requirement for decades. Many cite concern that their children and grandchildren can’t be citizens of the Tribe. This means in no uncertain terms that the number of Band members could diminish if the requirements don’t change, Chief Executive Benjamin told the group.

What’s even more sobering is that according to research done by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works toward building positive outcomes in communities, without making any changes to the blood quantum requirement, the number of Band members would diminish greatly.

For example, Chief Executive Benjamin said, “If there isn’t a change in blood quantum, then by 2098, we would have just about 1,800 Band members.”

“The trend is enrollment is going up, but it will plateau and start coming down,” Chief Executive Benjamin told attendees. “That’s what we’re concerned about.”

The Chief Executive told the group that there were other likely scenarios that Wilder outlined in the report that showed the numbers wouldn’t decline as radically if other decisions were made that included:

• Keeping one-fourth and allowing other U.S. Anishinaabe and First Nations blood to count.

• Keeping one-fourth and allowing other federally-recognized tribe (non-Anishinaabe blood) and First Nations to count towards the one-fourth.

Changing the blood quantum to one-eighth

Changing it to lineal descendancy — meaning no more blood quantum requirements

The information shared was important and timely, said Urban Band member Alissa Bush.

“I’m raising two children who are not eligible to be enrolled due to the fact that their father is from Red Lake, so they don’t count that (towards blood quantum),” she said. “I am here because I wanted to learn more about the changes that could be happening about enrollment.”

Alissa said she is in support of a change happening, but wasn’t quite sure which change she favored the most.

Barb Benjamin-Roberton agreed that it was important for the Chief Executive to spend time in the Urban Area to spend time with them, share information, and to be able to respond to questions.

Barb, who is a Band Elder, recalls that conversations about blood quantum have been happening since she was a girl. She also knows that even though the records have been maintained, there are errors in them dating back for decades, as evidenced in her own family.

The Band is investing in a new platform that will help with some of the recordkeeping, Chief Executive Benjamin told the group, but she encouraged them to do their own research, too.

“There is a lot happening and I want to encourage Band members to stay involved and stay engaged,” she said. “There will be more meetings coming and more information that will be shared, and it’s important that all of us know what is going on.”