Wow, ain't that the ultimate, an American Indian is now someone who is
recognized as such by the American government--on the other hand, now that
the US government has taken all their land, their wasn't much left to take,
so why not their ethnicity? Someone can claim they are of German ancestry,
but claiming you are of Indian tribal ancestry of any sort is more akin to
claiming citizenship? How does that go? You're either descended from
Germans or not. You're either descended from Indians or not. You aren't
NOT descended from your ancestors because the US government does not
recognize the sovereignity of your tribe, they can't unborn you, or
disappear you.
The US government's proclamation that a tribe is federally recognized or not
does not change or delegitimize your ancestry. North American Indians are in
no way a homongeneous group of peoples with a unified outlook towards the US
federal government--they spoke hundreds of languages, had vastly different
forms of government, marriage rites, and religions.
And politically they are all over the specturm also--I have friends who want
others to say "Indian" because it recognizes they are a member of a
federally recognized tribe and have certain rights as such that others do
not have (the right to collect basketry materials, and to declare spraying
certain areas of native plants off-limits for road crews spraying
pesticides). I have other friends who belong to federally recognized tribes
and don't pay taxes, don't register as a tribal member, don't acknowledge
the US government's right to have any impact in their lives whatsoever--the
Fight terrorism in America since 1492 t-shirt is big with this group.
This is about Indian gaming rights. Wikipedia should have no part in this
political issue of recognizing tribes. However, articles should accurately
reflect this dichotomy in the United States for recognition of Indians, the
association with gaming, the practice of removing members from tribal
rosters to consolidate the profits in fewer hands, and all other documented,
reported, and notable issues concerning this. But, no, Wikipedia does not
have to support the gaming Indians political power plays. That's not what
an encyclopedia is for, I agree with that.
KP