Declaring Native American Ancestry

[native_coder]

I am applying to Master's degree programs for the fall of 2015. I recently found out over the holidays that I am most likely 1/8 Canadian Indian. Is this enough to claim I am Native Amercan on school applications? if so, what sort of proof do I need to have?  I am in the process of tracing back my roots, but it has proven to be difficult because my grandmother was adopted and displaced from her Native community.  My mother was also adopted. 

 

-Thanks for the info in advance

[TakeruK]

Note: In Canada, we do not use the term "Indian" to describe people of Aboriginal descent. Instead, we use the term Aboriginal.

 

I am not sure if you mean Canadian or American schools in your question. At Canadian schools, you will be given the option of identifying as "White", "Aboriginal", "Visible Minority", or to provide no answer. If you do personally identify as Aboriginal, then yes, you would be able to indicate this in your application. I'm not sure how American schools ask this question because non-Americans generally have to skip the questions on under-represented demographics.

[Kleio_77]

I am Metis and live in Canada. I am wondering about this as well. To identify as Metis (for some schools) you must have proof of your genealogy, which my family had a genealogist trace our family tree back at least seven generations. 

 

I work with a person who sat on a Canadian university law admissions committee and she said that Aboriginal ancestry can significantly help students. Some programs in Canada, especially medical school programs and law, set aside a small number of admissions (maybe 1-3) for Aboriginal applicants. I also read UBC's Aboriginal admissions process, and the Aboriginal student office will set aside all Aboriginal applications and review them, and if the student's application is overlooked in the overall review process, the Aboriginal office may re-recommend their application to be considered. Not all Canadian schools are the same however, and I do not know if American schools are similar. 

 

This is also based on light reading of different university policies within Canada, I am no expert on this matter. 

[jujubea]

I have never needed to show proof of my Native American (not Canadian Aboriginal) ancestry in my applications for anything in the U.S. (colleges, grants, government jobs)... which is good because I don't have proof beyond (awesome) oral histories. 

 

The question on U.S. applications usually shows up as "What race do you identify yourself as" or "Do you identify as any of the following" - they really seem to place an emphasis on what you consider yourself to be. This is interesting because I have half white half mixed-Asian family members who do not identify as Caucasian, they identify as Filipino only, even though they are less than half, and have a whole lot of other stuff mixed in.

 

I'm the other way: I check every box in my background, which leaves very few unchecked. I wish they would offer the "Mixed" or "Multiple" box more frequently though, because that's how I self-identify.

 

Regardless though, I have seen other applications and applicants who have had to hold a nationally-recognized card which indicates their Native American ancestry in order for it to be considered.

So, I think it really depends on which programs. For me this means I'm prepared to forego any extra consideration since I don't have a governmentally-recognized tribal affiliation (it only matters to me that I know who I am... and in our case, our ancestry was purposefully buried for the "shame" it used to carry).

[TakeruK]

In Canada, there are some instances where it is what you self-identify as that matters (e.g. what jujubea mentioned and what the "racial diversity" question in US applications ask for). However, there are other instances where the government is not asking for self-identification but actually asking for legal status as a Canadian Aboriginal (e.g. Kleio_77 example). Whether or not you need to prove legal status depends on the circumstance (for example, certain retail taxes in Ontario are exempt for those with legal status). In addition, the term "Aboriginal" is a very broad term that covers a lot of different groups of aboriginal peoples in Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis), so legal status can also vary depending on which group you identify with and whether or not you live on a reserve. Thus, in Canada, it's not surprising that whether the question is asking about "self-identification" or "legal proof" will depend on each school and each instance! 

[native_coder]

Thank you for all of the info!

I am applying to American Schools, as I live in the United States.  I was quite thrilled to find out that I am Metis.  I have worked with Native American communities in the South Western United States, but I had no idea I was of aboriginal descent myself.  I am contacting each school i am applying to, to see what they say about claiming native ancestry on their application. I will report back what I find.  

 

Thanks again!

[Kleio_77]

@native_coder Let me know the answers you receive! Even though you are American, I am curious to know what they say.