Simply stated, the US government developed blood quantum,
defined as the 'degree' of blood one biologically possesses of a
certain 'race' or ethnic group, to facilitate the cultural eradication
of Native people and dismantle traditional modes of life. However,
Ward Churchill claims "to tighten or even adhere to quantum requirements...
is to engage in a sort of autogenocide by definitional/statistical extermination"
(Churchill, 1998: n.p.). In short, if Native nations continue to adhere to
strict blood quantum requirements, he argues that it is only a matter of time
before all American Indian people eventually sink below the required blood
quantum and American Indian nations will no longer exist.
-Biometrics in Indian Country: The Bloody fight for Authenticity by
Tiffany Waters
Fourth World Journal, Volume 6, Number 1, pages 30-41
No comments:
Post a Comment