How Native American.....Is Native American?

[Detective SnowBucket]

Beginning to work on my app to become citizen of my family's nation, have some distant members that still live on a reservation. I look white as **** tho. If I check the box on AMCAS I can back it up with family records but will adcoms be disappointed to see an (otherwise) white dude walk in?

Might not get citizenship for sure before I submit AMCAS but should before interviews.

PS. I would absolutely love to work (or at least volunteer if I could) on a reservation

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[Bobby_Ray]

If you are recognized by a tribe then you are fine. I’m very light skinned, and identified as NA and it wasn’t an issue. A couple schools asked me to submit verification on their secondaries, but it wasn’t an issue. It never got brought up on my interviews, but I did have a lot of tribal involvement listed on my app and they talked about those events quite a bit. I think they care more about tribal involvement then blood quantum.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

If you are recognized by a tribe then you are fine. I’m very light skinned, and identified as NA and it wasn’t an issue. A couple schools asked me to submit verification on their secondaries, but it wasn’t an issue. It never got brought up on my interviews, but I did have a lot of tribal involvement listed on my app and they talked about those events quite a bit. I think they care more about tribal involvement then blood quantum.

I don't have any tribal involvement, I moved around so much and its only my distant family that does. Other problem is that I'm not recognized yet, that's in the process.

By chance, do you remember which schools asked for verification?

 

[Bobby_Ray]

I don't have any tribal involvement, I moved around so much and its only my distant family that does. Other problem is that I'm not recognized yet, that's in the process.

By chance, do you remember which schools asked for verification?

I would have to go back and double check. Off the top of my head I remember North Dakota, South Dakota, I believe the University of Missouri, and the University of New Mexico all asking that I submit verification. The University of Minnesota-Duluth asked about things like what tribe I identify with, and if I had any tribal involvement as part of their secondary, but I don’t remember them requesting formal documentation to verify that I was a member of a specific tribe.

 

[907914]

Beginning to work on my app to become citizen of my family's nation, have some distant members that still live on a reservation. I look white as **** tho. If I check the box on AMCAS I can back it up with family records but will adcoms be disappointed to see an (otherwise) white dude walk in?

Might not get citizenship for sure before I submit AMCAS but should before interviews.

PS. I would absolutely love to work (or at least volunteer if I could) on a reservation

If you have had absolutely no tribal involvement and you don't look NA at all (Yes, people unfortunately judge by looks alone) they will likely view in negative light. If you apply after you have your paperwork and do a little bit of involvement, you are probably good.

 

[Goro]

Beginning to work on my app to become citizen of my family's nation, have some distant members that still live on a reservation. I look white as **** tho. If I check the box on AMCAS I can back it up with family records but will adcoms be disappointed to see an (otherwise) white dude walk in?

Might not get citizenship for sure before I submit AMCAS but should before interviews.

PS. I would absolutely love to work (or at least volunteer if I could) on a reservation

I don't care how you look. I care about two things:
Do you have a Tribal Card?
Do you have evidence of service to NA communities?

You're handicapped by too many unethical candidates who suddenly discover their NA heritage only upon application to medical school.

 

[LongLiveThanos]

If you have to ask whether or not you're Native American at the time of your medical school application, then you're not Native American.

 

[Wahkoon]

Appearance doesn’t matter so much as citizenship and record of involvement in native communities. I look very white (thanks mom) but I am a member of a federally recognized tribe with extensive history volunteering in Urban Indian communities. If needed I can provide my enrollment number with my tribe. The issue isn’t about physical appearance (which admissions cannot ask about btw), the issue is whether or not your actions and involvement is congruent with the background you are claiming. It is easy to say you would want to be involved with IHS, tribal reservations, etc in the future, but this doesn’t hold any weight.

 

[Toutie]

If you want to use your NA blood to your advantage on your application...then get your tribal card and work /volunteer with a NA population for a few years and THEN apply to med school.

 

[ApplyingThisCycleBurner]

A couple months of volunteering in that community, coincidently right before your medical school application, is not a good look. As someone that has extensive volunteering on a reservation without any native background, native American status for medical school should be used imo to get people to return to that community as a skilled professional, people with extensive ties to the community and their well-being. What if your application took the spot of someone from a reservation who's goal is to be the first primary care physician on the reservation?

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Why didn't you ever check the box before? You say, "PS. I would absolutely love to work (or at least volunteer if I could) on a reservation" but you haven't done that in 21 years and haven't even been recognized by your tribe? I can only assume "distant family" means a half Native great grandmother.

I didn’t because I haven’t lived in America for much of my life. Distant means second cousins

 

[lalalallala]

What have you been checking the rest of your life? If you have been saying your white your whole life, then it seems like you are trying to game the system by all of a sudden checking Native American and white.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

If you have:

- A tribal card, or
- Significant (500+ hours over 2+ years) service to the Native community,

You are golden.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

What have you been checking the rest of your life? If you have been saying your white your whole life, then it seems like you are trying to game the system by all of a sudden checking Native American and white.

I've never had a tribal card so I never had the right to check anything else. I'm applying for one this summer, hence this thread

 

[lalalallala]

I've never had a tribal card so I never had the right to check anything else. I'm applying for one this summer, hence this thread

Definitely seems like you are doing this to gain an advantage in admissions. Not saying you are just saying that's how it comes across with the timing

 

[Osminog]

Elizabeth Warren applies to med school

 

[ExplodingUlcers]

I recently did a 23 and me and apparently my DNA contains markers associated with native American populations and Europeans from the Iberian peninsula. No surprise there because I'm Mexican as f**k.

Should I pull the NA card just because the polymorphisms in my DNA indicate a shared ancestral heritage with other native American populations? That's basically what you're asking to do for yourself and the answer is no. You have to have lived the experience of being a native American to justify calling yourself that. It's not enough for you to claim it just because a family member (or an ancestor in my case) lived that experience long ago.

 

[LongLiveThanos]

Elizabeth Warren applies to med school

I recently did a 23 and me and apparently my DNA contains markers associated with native American populations and Europeans from the Iberian peninsula. No surprise there because I'm Mexican as f**k.

Should I pull the NA card just because the polymorphisms in my DNA indicate a shared ancestral heritage with other native American populations? That's basically what you're asking to do for yourself and the answer is no. You have to have lived the experience of being a native American to justify calling yourself that. It's not enough for you to claim it just because a family member (or an ancestor in my case) lived that experience long ago.

But... But... I have high cheekbones! /s

 

[ak-aka-dak]

Since you are a reapplicant and didn’t check the NA box the first time you applied and you don’t identify with a NA community, you should definitely not check the box this time. Doing such could make you a 3rd time applicant.

 

[ExplodingUlcers]

But... But... I have high cheekbones! /s

Oh Okay you're right in that case it's justified! /$

 

[seanm028]

You're handicapped by too many unethical candidates who suddenly discover their NA heritage only upon application to medical school.

Apparently, almost 70% of Americans self-report as being part Cherokee.

 

[Goro]

Apparently, almost 70% of Americans self-report as being part Cherokee.

Lucky for us they're not all applying to med school!

 

[Toutie]

Apparently, almost 70% of Americans self-report as being part Cherokee.

Until they all take a DNA test...and then all of a sudden it's like maybe 10%. I was always told I had some Indian blood (New England/SE Canada area tribe). My DNA test shows exactly 0%. On the other hand I do have some Iberian, SW Asia, and Ashkenazi Jewish that I had absolutely no idea about.

 

[seanm028]

Until they all take a DNA test...and then all of a sudden it's like maybe 10%. I was always told I had some Indian blood (New England/SE Canada area tribe). My DNA test shows exactly 0%. On the other hand I do have some Iberian, SW Asia, and Ashkenazi Jewish that I had absolutely no idea about.

I imagine 23andMe and the whole home DNA test boom has really disappointed a number of people!!

 

[Toutie]

I imagine 23andMe and the whole home DNA test boom has really disappointed a number of people!!

Very likely so. AND...has the potential to destroy a lot of families. Some people really need to think about the possible consequences before they do it.

I found it pretty interesting. Nothing weird showed up. I do biologically belong to my parents, as does my sister. My top 3 nationalities (Italian, English/Scottish/Irish, and French) were exactly what I expected. The smaller percentages I mentioned really surprised me. I really had no idea. But it makes sense since Europe is a relatively small area and there has been lots of movement of peoples through the area for hundreds (technically thousands) of years.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Until they all take a DNA test...and then all of a sudden it's like maybe 10%. I was always told I had some Indian blood (New England/SE Canada area tribe). My DNA test shows exactly 0%. On the other hand I do have some Iberian, SW Asia, and Ashkenazi Jewish that I had absolutely no idea about.

My family's nation doesn't allow you to use DNA tests to gain citizenship, only through family records interestingly. I guess its because you could have some additional portion from other groups. But I also don't know if most nations are like that.

 

[dr_kateb]

Worked for Warren. How lucky are you feeling?

 

[787593]

Beginning to work on my app to become citizen of my family's nation, have some distant members that still live on a reservation. I look white as **** tho. If I check the box on AMCAS I can back it up with family records but will adcoms be disappointed to see an (otherwise) white dude walk in?

Might not get citizenship for sure before I submit AMCAS but should before interviews.

PS. I would absolutely love to work (or at least volunteer if I could) on a reservation

 

[deleted903608]

If you are not currently enrolled in your tribe and haven't had any tribal involvement to date, don't check the box.

I am First Nations and practice some cultural traditions have documented genealogical evidence but since I was born and live in the US and my tribe is in Canada I can't be an enrolled member and don't have any contact with my tribe. Thus, I didn't check the box. It would have been disingenuous for me to do so.

Native identity is about more than blood. It's about involvement in a tribal community and culture.

Also as a general rule of thumb, if you have to ask, it's probably a no.

 

[907914]

If you are not currently enrolled in your tribe and haven't had any tribal involvement to date, don't check the box.

I am First Nations and practice some cultural traditions have documented genealogical evidence but since I was born and live in the US and my tribe is in Canada I can't be an enrolled member and don't have any contact with my tribe. Thus, I didn't check the box. It would have been disingenuous for me to do so.

Native identity is about more than blood. It's about involvement in a tribal community and culture.

Also as a general rule of thumb, if you have to ask, it's probably a no.

We have a few tribes in Washington State and Northern Idaho that allow you to register if you are a Canadian First Nations tribal member. I believe it is due to Salish being so heavily widespread as the language that connected all the way from Northern California to the Southern Yukon territory. Of the top of my head the Spokane tribe, the Kalispell tribe and the Colville tribe should allow you. There are some hoops to jump through, but still. This is all if you are from a western Canadian tribe, that is.

 

[deleted903608]

We have a few tribes in Washington State and Northern Idaho that allow you to register if you are a Canadian First Nations tribal member. I believe it is due to Salish being so heavily widespread as the language that connected all the way from Northern California to the Southern Yukon territory. Of the top of my head the Spokane tribe, the Kalispell tribe and the Colville tribe should allow you. There are some hoops to jump through, but still. This is all if you are from a western Canadian tribe, that is.

That's interesting, I didn't know about that. Doesn't apply to me and my family though, since we're from an eastern woodlands tribe that isn't recognized by the US government. Weird colonial politics.

 

[907914]

That's interesting, I didn't know about that. Doesn't apply to me and my family though, since we're from an eastern woodlands tribe that isn't recognized by the US government. Weird colonial politics.

It’s kind of weird in that it goes back to the Jay Treaty of 1794. Back when Canada was a British colony the US made a treaty with them where one of the clauses was that native peoples from either side of the border could freely cross the border without customs or duty fees and they could live and work on either side of the border only paying taxes to their home country. But when Canada became independent they stopped honoring the treaty for US natives because technically the treaty was between Britain and the US not Canada. However, the US does still honor the treaty. So Canadian native peoples can live and work freely in the US but US native can not live and work freely in Canada.