American Indian Facts of Life - Softcover

George Russell

9781881933120: American Indian Facts of Life

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1881933121 ISBN 13: 9781881933120

Publisher: Russell Publications, 2004

“Today’s American Indians are usually perceived as icons of the past, while current information about population, tribes and reservations is essentially ignored.” George Russell – Saginaw Chippewa Before American Indians can realistically develop national political and economic strategies to deal with a roster of long standing issues, it is essential to know the answers to some very basic demographic questions. What is today's American Indian population? (2.5 million) How many tribes still exist? (562 federally recognized) How many reservations are there? (314 in the continental US) What are the blood quantum certification requirements for tribal membership? The United States government definition of a legal Indian is: “Any person who has the certifiable Indian blood quantum to meet the enrollment requirements of a federally recognized tribe.” This seemingly innocuous definition has been the cause of enormous dilemma in the Indian community. American Indians are the only ethnic group of people who must comply with the US government official documentation and certification process to be recognized as American Indians. A larger ominous question is: “Do current blood quantum certification requirements program Indians for extinction?” There is a generational genetic blood quantum time-bomb quietly ticking in Indian country! Indian blood quantum is being rapidly diluted with each passing generation until, theoretically, it will be essentially extinguished. The blood quantum issue is further complicated by the proliferation of tribally mixed people. The Blood quantum certification dilemma has become a game of Genetic Roulette combined with Rubik’s Cube complexity. This book provides answers to these complex demographic questions and a foreboding premise, that American Indians may become an endangered species in the foreseeable future, from an insightful and provocative Indian perspective.

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About the Author:

George Russell was born on the Isabella Indian Reservation near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and is an enrolled member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe. He attended Spring Arbor College in Michigan and moved to Phoenix, Arizona after discharge from the US Army. Russell’s occupation was civil engineering and construction. He designed interstate freeways for Consulting Engineers and then acquired a General Engineering contractor's license to install underground utility pipelines and build roads. In January 1990, Russell published the first edition of the “Reservations" map and the “Facts of Life” Handbook. Russell Publications are sold in over 500 retail outlets such as college bookstores, museum gift shops, map stores, etc. Russell maintains the "Native Data Network” website (www.nativedata.com) as a resource for demographics about today's Native population, tribes and reservations. Russell is active in numerous Arizona Native community activities and also national issues. He is a founding member and past President of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Arizona and a founding member of the national Indian Land Working Group. Russell’s personal interests are running, tennis, dancing and being a good Grandpa.

Review:

This handbook is a wealth of information that I use constantly as a reference for articles, classes, and speaking engagements. --Sally N. Willett - Admininstrative Law Judge, November 2004

This book is an organized and concise format that should be in the hands of anyone interested in American Indians. --Theresa Carmody, Indian Land Working Group, October 2004

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