RM>>  Sondra, Are you saying that only Full bloods are Indian?? if so I b
 SB> No, I'm not saying that at all.  Indian is a race, and if you
 SB> have only a distant Indian ancestor, you probably aren't
 SB> Indian.  On the other hand, Lakota is a nation, and it would
 SB> be possible to be a Lakota and not be an Indian at all, or to
 SB> be very little Indian; just as it would be possible to be an
 SB> Indian and not be a member of any "Indian" nation.
 SB>  Race and nation are too entirely diferent issues.  If you can prove you
 SB> are 1/4 Indian, you can probably get a card from the US
 SB> government certifying that you are 1/4 Indian.  But that
 SB> would not cause you to be enrolled in any of the first
 SB> nations at all, or give you any of the rights of the members
 SB> of those nations.  Nor would it give you recognition by those
 SB> nations.  On the other hand, you might be 1/8 Indian, born
 SB> and raised on the Lakota rez, enrolled at birth, a speaker of
 SB> the Lakota language, etc., and then you would be recognized
 SB> by other "Indians" as a legit member of a first nation.
 SB> Blood quantum is not, in most cases, the deciding factor as
 SB> to whether you are, or are not, a member of a nation, just as
 SB> it is not the deciding factor as to whether you are, or are
 SB> not, a citizen of the United States.
That, in part, is sorta what I was trying to relay to Richard and others in 
some local San Antonio discussion about dream catchers. Although, there is 
Native American (Cherokee) on both sides of my family tree, I wasn't raised 
on the reservation or brought up with any Native American 'ways' (can't speak 
the language, have only been to Cherokee North Carolina a couple of times and 
only then as a tourist!).  I have been looking for a non-touristy dream 
catcher (not like those seen around here in stores) but one made by someone 
who grew up knowing, living their heritage rather than someone who learned 
the 'craft' primarily to make money (although the cost wasn't the problem I 
was encountering.)  There was/is just something ascrew about the 
'commercialism' (by folks who are only out after the commercial aspects of 
the 'craft' rather than making the item, knowing the heritage, basically 
living the 'experience.'
After all, I could probably make one as good as most folks who do so but I 
felt that since I didn't live it, experience it as a child, adult, then the 
dream catcher I would make wouldn't 'work' as it should!  (I even joked that 
it would probably make more nightmares!)
Nancy
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