Some background on the poem: for those who do not know each Native American tribe bases it’s tribal membership and benefits on blood quantum. Historically this method was a way for the government to distinguish percentage and in other ways for them to continue cultural hegemony. Originally they pinched the skin of Native children and parents and by the color it turned (red or not) is how they determined how much “Indian” they were. Now, this practice is continued in tribes, and each tribe has their own percentage (full, half, quarter, etc). Mine has a minimum fourth percentage, which I am, but it turns out that my dad’s family is all registered different. The tribe has said we have to provide three generations of birth certificates as proof. Despite this information we have had a heck of a time getting enrolled. So… I write this poem:
full
half
quarter
eighth
what’s your blood?
let’s situate.
great grandma
grandpa
dad
then me
family lineage, birth certificate’s
proove to be
politics
government
tradition
preference
in some way
cultural genocide from within
full
half
quarter
eighth
pinch my skin
help to integrate
great grandma
grandpa
dad
then me
stop the oppression
and cultural hegemony
