Chapter Summary Of Real Indians By Eva Garroutte

Real Indians Journal Chapter one of Real Indians Eva Garroutte writes of the process it takes for a Native American to become recognized by the government and gain the benefits of being a “real Indian” by way of identification card or the Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There are many requirements that need to be filled out before the card can be issued out to the tribe member. Without this reassurance and validation from the government Garroutte explains that a tribe can go “extinct” as a result of the government not stating the tribe exists. According to Garroutte this has happened in the past, “…lack of federal acknowledgement has been shown to affect a grouped ability to preserve or maintain

The start of the chapter follows a story about a man who self identifies as a American Indian man who goes by “Standing Bear”. Garroutte defines what it is to be a self identified Indian by saying, “…anyone who does not satisfy the requirements specifically of legal definitions”(Garroutte, 82). These are people that live by the culture but do not for some reason meet the blood quota. Standing Bear along with his “tribe” the Deer clan, tried with their best efforts to be acknowledged by the government as an actual tribe but was denied the privilege of doing so. While anyone can essentially self-identify as any other race that does not mean they will be excepted or in the words of Garroutte, “it would be meaningful” and most are criticized for their choice. Most Indians see this as a form of Ethnic fraud, when a person “self-identifies” when it is covenant to them such as when money such as scholarships and benefits, as well as in some cases crimes can be easily “covered up”. Some people however, come from a pure place of wondering about their ancestry, Garroutte quotes Archie M. by saying, “folks who are looking and searching who don’t have the opportunity (to learn their tribal cultures from childhood)… They have a right (later in life to find)…those things” (Garroutte, 96). Some people are not considered Indians by the government but just simply want to know more about where they come from and learn the cultures and traditions of their “tribe”. Or like in chapters prior people are not considered Indian by the government but still live by their traditions. Over all, there are positives and negatives to