Native American Status

[CoolHand]

Hey Everyone,

Maybe someone can help me out with this. I am a college graduate looking to apply for fall 2009. I am 1/4 Native American (my grandfather is 100% Mohawk and my father is half). I am a member of the St. Regis Mohawk tribe and have a card. The thing is I am also Irish and English, and I look more caucausian than NA (although I have sort of a darker complexion than most). My father and grandfather grew up on the reservation, but I come from Long Island and have only been there a few times to see the other side of my family. My dad is convinced that I should put Native American on my app but I'm not completely sure. I don't know if I should feel guilty putting it down when I'm only a quarter (although I know that it's getting harder and harder to find many Native Americans who have higher percentages). What do you think? Thanks for your responses!

-LJ

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[Phoenix.]

If you do some searches you'll find some other discussions on this very topic. Personally, I think your father is right. You're 1/4 native american, you have the tribal card, and I'm assuming you do identify as native american (as well as some other ethnicities). As to your fear that you don't "look" native american, I wouldn't worry about that. Ideally, it'd be great if you had some kind of native american club or association ECs in your app, but that's not required. You could also talk about your heritage in the inevitable "diversity essays" that so many med schools have in their secondary applications. And if you're concerned, talk to a pre-med advisor about this. Good luck!

 

[Chris Knight]

^^^ Agreed.

Play whatever cards you have (literally in this case). No one will question you about your status in interviews.

 

[civilleader]

Well I've never met a full blooded Native American so you are probably fine declaring yourself as native American as long as you don't apply to Oklahoma or areas with a large native population.

 

[scowdeva]

I'm somewhere between 1/4 and a 1/2 NA (Ojibwa), and I dont look like it very much. I definitely have the scrunchy eyes and skin tone, but I have light eyes and only medium brownish hair (which I dye blond, so that doesnt help really). Don't worry about feeling guilty checking off the Native American box- I did at first too. Just because you dont live on the res (I never have, but do have some cousins that do) doesnt mean that it isnt your heritage! I expect that there will be some people on here that try to flame you for it, saying that you havent really been disadvantaged and blah blah blah, but dont listen to them. The point of asking heritage isnt to see if you have necessarily been horribly disadvantaged from your parents' background- it is just to see what your heritage is!

My decision was this: Just fill the form out how you would identify yourself if a friend was asking...and good luck!

 

[TheRealMD]

Important issue you'll need to bring up: Do you feel that being Native American will strongly affect how you might practice medicine? Otherwise, don't think too much about it. Just don't make sure you start talking about your Native American heritage but have nothing to back up your interests if that's the road you want to pursue.

 

[bouspret]

I would certainly play the card if you have your CDIB card (certified degree of Indian Blood). Also, being 1/4 is what the legal definition is currenly for school admissions, accorinding to a diveristy counselor I spoke with at a medical schoool. I'm Cherokee, but my grandmother never moved to the reservation. Hence, I don't have a CDIB card. Even if I did, I'm less than 1/4.

Being a native American looks good for the school recruiting you, and it GREATLY increases your chances of being accepted. Go for it!

 

[ufgrad00]

Hello, If you have a tribal card I believe that you can apply as such. Do not worry about how you look either. If it makes you feel better, I am applying as a hispanic because my mother is from Cuba and half my family is still there, but my father is also from Virginia and I look much more like him than my mother. Although, I can also speak spanish, and I think that may help support my claim though.

Anyways, if you have a card you will get some preference at University of North Dakota. A Professor of Anatomy and admission's officer of University of North Dakota works out at my gym in Florida. He is retired and has been for the past three years. Anyways, I have had many meaningful conversations with him, and he has said that North Dakota school gives some preference to Native Americans and tries to interview as many that applies. I am not sure if you are interested in North Dakota, but I hope I could help.

 

[LizzyM]

I've been thinking about this question and to me it comes down to this: when completing the 2010 US Census form, how will you self-identify in terms of race and ethnicity. Whatever that is, your AMCAS should match. If we use US Census in combination with AMCAS/AMA databases to identify groups that are URM, you should list yourself in both the numerator and denominator, so to speak.

 

[CoolHand]

Thanks for the input everybody. I really appreciate it.