Hoopa Valley Tribe lowers blood quantum

Monday, April 14, 2008  

The Hoopa Valley Tribe of northern California has lowered its blood quantum requirements.

Tribal members voted 469-418 last month to accept a proposal to require one-eighth Hupa blood. Previously, the minimum was one-fourth.

Byron Nelson Jr., who works for the tribe's courts, said the change was needed to ensure the tribe doesn't write itself out of existence. Philip Zastrow, a tribal member and director of the Indian Teacher & Educational Personnel Program at Humboldt State University, devised a mathematical model that showed the tribe would slowly lose membership with the one-fourth standard.

The tribe currently has about 2,200 members. The change will add about 800 people to the rolls.

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Hoopa Valley Tribe changes enrollment requirements (The Eureka Times-Standard 4/13)