The Indian Card: Who Gets to Be Native in America
A groundbreaking and deeply personal exploration of Tribal enrollment, and what it means to be Native American in the United States
“Candid, unflinching . . . Her thorough excavation of the painful history that gave rise to rigid enrollment policies is a courageous gift to our understanding of contemporary Native life.” —The Whiting Foundation Jury
Who is Indian enough?
To be Native American is to live in a world of contradictions. At the same time that the number of people in the US who claim Native identity has exploded—increasing 85 percent in just ten years—the number of people formally enrolled in Tribes has not. While the federal government recognizes Tribal sovereignty, being a member of a Tribe requires navigating blood quantum laws and rolls that the federal government created with the intention of wiping out Native people altogether. Over two million Native people are tribally enrolled, yet there are Native people who will never be. Native people who, for a variety of reasons ranging from displacement to disconnection, cannot be card-carrying members of their Tribe.
In The Indian Card, Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz grapples with these contradictions. Through in-depth interviews, she shares the stories of people caught in the mire of identity-formation, trying to define themselves outside of bureaucratic processes. With archival research, she pieces together the history of blood quantum and tribal rolls and federal government intrusion on Native identity-making. Reckoning with her own identity—the story of her enrollment and the enrollment of her children—she investigates the cultural, racial, and political dynamics of today’s Tribal identity policing. With this intimate perspective of the ongoing fight for Native sovereignty, The Indian Card sheds light on what it looks like to find a deeper sense of belonging.
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Community Reviews
The Indian Card by Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz is a compelling and thought-provoking examination of Native American identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage. I was immediately drawn to the audiobook upon recognizing the authorâs maiden name, Lowryâ a familial name confirming our shared connection to the Lumbee tribe. Like Schuettpelz, I grew up away from "Lumbee territory" and present as white, making her story particularly relatable.
While Schuettpelz shares her own personal experience as a Lumbee, she goes beyond her own journey, offering a broader perspective by interviewing members of multiple tribes across the U.S. She captures the diversity of Native experiences, showing how each tribe and individual navigates the complicated terrain of identity, belonging, and cultural connection. Through these interviews, she provides a rich, multi-faceted view of what it means to be Native in todayâs world.
One of the most impactful aspects of The Indian Card is Schuettpelz's challenge to the concept of "blood quantum"âthe arbitrary measure used to determine Native identity. She questions why this standard is applied to Native communities when no other ethnic group relies on such a rigid criterion for proving their heritage. This call into question of blood quantum is an essential part of the bookâs deeper exploration of how Native identity is defined and validated, often in ways that donât fully reflect the lived reality of Native people.
Schuettpelzâs writing is not only personal and heartfelt but also insightful and meticulously researched. She thoughtfully examines the complexities of Native American identity, emphasizing that Native tribes are diverse and cannot be reduced to a single category or experience. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand the intricacies of Native identityâwhether they share a similar background or are new to the topic.
The Indian Card is a powerful, well-rounded exploration of a topic that is often oversimplified or misunderstood. Schuettpelz has created an essential and accessible resource for anyone interested in Native American heritage and the ongoing challenges faced by Native communities. An excellent and deeply impactful read.
Amy Hall does a fantastic job narrating the audiobook, bringing Schuettpelzâs powerful story to life with a thoughtful and engaging performance that truly enhances the emotional depth and authenticity of the narrative.
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