NA-Seminole Forum
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Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about bar exam prep. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
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t3hevildonut
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:59 pm
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JamMasterJ
- Posts: 6649
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Re: NA-Seminole
wondering this as well, and where to go to figure out what percent NA you are
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admisionquestion
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 12:16 am
Re: NA-Seminole
You can usually check with your tribe. I'm 1/8 NA and just confirmed it with the tribe. It only took one quick phonecall.
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bmp
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:30 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
1/16 does not count you as being a URM. I have read on this forum and elsewhere that that you need to be at least 1/4 X in your case NA if you wanted to mark your apps with it. If you are saying that you consider yourself White then it would not have been right of you to mark NA on your apps.
URM is Under Represented Minority... if you are White you are not a URM. period.
I have also read that checking the NA box on apps and not speaking about how being NA has impacted your life in this way or speaking of your ancestry does not give you any boost.
Read this article about what constitutes as URM status: http://www.top-law-schools.com/urm-applicant-faq.html
URM is Under Represented Minority... if you are White you are not a URM. period.
I have also read that checking the NA box on apps and not speaking about how being NA has impacted your life in this way or speaking of your ancestry does not give you any boost.
Read this article about what constitutes as URM status: http://www.top-law-schools.com/urm-applicant-faq.html
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AreJay711
- Posts: 3406
- Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:51 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
I don't think you have to be at least 1/4 NA to count it but it does need to be a major part of your life. I'd say if you don't consider yourself to be an injun you ain't an injun.
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lawgod
- Posts: 465
- Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:22 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
I don't know about this. Everyone is so against it, but I don't know I agree.
The question is asking what race you are. You are more than one race. I would check both, or check other and write in Caucasian and NA.
At the same time, everyone seems comfortable with checking something which you are only a quarter of. I don't get that. If your paternal grandfather was Black, your race is not Black- it is part White (or Asian or Pacific Islander), part Black.
The question is asking what race you are. You are more than one race. I would check both, or check other and write in Caucasian and NA.
At the same time, everyone seems comfortable with checking something which you are only a quarter of. I don't get that. If your paternal grandfather was Black, your race is not Black- it is part White (or Asian or Pacific Islander), part Black.
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northwestgirl
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:54 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
The Seminole Tribe of Flordia, perhaps in part due to its economic success, has a more strict enrollment application that most tribes. This is something that you should investigate, but I am pretty sure that your blood quantum does not qualify you to be a member (apologies if this is incorrect).
If, like JamMasterJ, you have an inquiry of your tribal status, you need to go to your tribe first. Generally, they are more than happy to help you establish lineage and fill-out necessary paperwork. The Department of the Interior/BIA also issues Certificates of Indian Blood (CIB cards) to Native that literally states your percentage of Indian Blood. CIB cards are often used in lieu of tribal cards if there is a reason you are not eligible to enroll in your tribe (there are many reasons for this, including periods of closed enrollment, your place of residence…)
Most of your status of a Native will be determined by your enrollment status. Because the Seminole tribe (I believe) requires ¼, your 1/16 blood does not qualify you as a “tribal descendent” in the same way that my tribe would, but this distinction is obviously open to interpretation. You need to research this. However, the argument that you need ¼ Indian blood to “count” is both false and insulting to the ability of individual tribal Nations to set up their enrollment guidelines as they see fit. Where some BIA programs limit funding to those individuals with less than 1/4 blood, that has little to do with this discussion. Go to your tribe, talk to the education department, and discuss your options.
I think that this is important to note the distinction that Native Americans have when discussing URM status. Not only a racial minority, we also represent a political minority as in the indigenous people of the US. The fact that you are of mixed race does nothing to dilute your political identity. It is your right to exercise and declare such distinctions.
That being said, in my option and experience, you would of course see a higher/more active response from diversity representatives when you show your connection to your tribal culture. However, Natives represent between 1-2% of the US population, and most admissions committees don’t know the cultural differences and nuances of the 565 different federally recognized tribes. Define and present yourself honestly and see what happens. Good luck!
If, like JamMasterJ, you have an inquiry of your tribal status, you need to go to your tribe first. Generally, they are more than happy to help you establish lineage and fill-out necessary paperwork. The Department of the Interior/BIA also issues Certificates of Indian Blood (CIB cards) to Native that literally states your percentage of Indian Blood. CIB cards are often used in lieu of tribal cards if there is a reason you are not eligible to enroll in your tribe (there are many reasons for this, including periods of closed enrollment, your place of residence…)
Most of your status of a Native will be determined by your enrollment status. Because the Seminole tribe (I believe) requires ¼, your 1/16 blood does not qualify you as a “tribal descendent” in the same way that my tribe would, but this distinction is obviously open to interpretation. You need to research this. However, the argument that you need ¼ Indian blood to “count” is both false and insulting to the ability of individual tribal Nations to set up their enrollment guidelines as they see fit. Where some BIA programs limit funding to those individuals with less than 1/4 blood, that has little to do with this discussion. Go to your tribe, talk to the education department, and discuss your options.
I think that this is important to note the distinction that Native Americans have when discussing URM status. Not only a racial minority, we also represent a political minority as in the indigenous people of the US. The fact that you are of mixed race does nothing to dilute your political identity. It is your right to exercise and declare such distinctions.
That being said, in my option and experience, you would of course see a higher/more active response from diversity representatives when you show your connection to your tribal culture. However, Natives represent between 1-2% of the US population, and most admissions committees don’t know the cultural differences and nuances of the 565 different federally recognized tribes. Define and present yourself honestly and see what happens. Good luck!
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AreJay711
- Posts: 3406
- Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:51 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
The thing is that many many many white people have NA ancestors. Also, your grandparent would make you 1/4. 1/16 is a great-great grandparent and the OP never considered himself to be NA. That is enough for some tribes but still, IMHO, it seems really fucked up to never worry about tribal citizenship or affiliation until you are applying to law school.lawgod wrote:I don't know about this. Everyone is so against it, but I don't know I agree.
The question is asking what race you are. You are more than one race. I would check both, or check other and write in Caucasian and NA.
At the same time, everyone seems comfortable with checking something which you are only a quarter of. I don't get that. If your paternal grandfather was Black, your race is not Black- it is part White (or Asian or Pacific Islander), part Black.
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admisionquestion
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 12:16 am
Re: NA-Seminole
I disagree, lsac says mark all races that you self identify as. I asked should I mark na and white if im 1/8 they said yes. This js not about heritage or culturr it is about race. Dont bs a ps just click the box id say its ethical.
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bmp
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:30 pm
Re: NA-Seminole
I have just read on the internet 1/4 (do your own research). If you consider yourself White and then all of a sudden want to play up that you are 1/16 NA ... that's not right. We all have multiple races in us. My paternal grandfather has some NA in him but do I check that box on apps ... no because I don't identify as NA because my parents and grandparents for the most part are not NA.
Sure people could check all the race boxes they wanted which could be 5 or 10 boxes but typically people identify with 1 or 2. I am not putting down NA as a URM. I myself am a URM and was just sharing what I have read online and in this forum about the 1/4 "guideline". Many law schools as stated in the article above ^ will ask you to prove your tribal affiliation because many White students were trying to set themselves apart by marking NA so there are rules now to weed out the ones using the NA box for the wrong reasons.
In my opinion it's slightly bothersome for a non-URM person want to mark a URM box on apps to benefit from whatever boost it might give them when they did not every consider themselves or identify as a URM before this point.
Sure people could check all the race boxes they wanted which could be 5 or 10 boxes but typically people identify with 1 or 2. I am not putting down NA as a URM. I myself am a URM and was just sharing what I have read online and in this forum about the 1/4 "guideline". Many law schools as stated in the article above ^ will ask you to prove your tribal affiliation because many White students were trying to set themselves apart by marking NA so there are rules now to weed out the ones using the NA box for the wrong reasons.
In my opinion it's slightly bothersome for a non-URM person want to mark a URM box on apps to benefit from whatever boost it might give them when they did not every consider themselves or identify as a URM before this point.
