had difficulty in accepting new members and providing their membership with an acceptable standard of living.  As one author has commented, "with fewer financial resources to access as each year passes, the possibility of having to accept more members who have a right to basic services and to have their rights respected is not promising." (50) In one community, Kahnawake, efforts to preserve cultural integrity over the past three decades have proved controversial.  In 1981, the band adopted a membership code intended to preserve Mohawk culture and language and to discourage Mohawks from marrying non-Indians.  The code, which called for a moratorium on mixed marriages and a blood quantum requirement for membership, has produced divisions in the community between those who see it as a means to prevent assimilation, and those who view it as a form of discrimination.  It has led to several well-publicized disputes.  In the spring of 1995, the band council moved to prevent children with less than 50% Mohawk blood from attending band schools. (51) Other conflicts have arisen over reserve residency and access to reserve employment and services. (52) In 1996, the band began community consultations on its code, in an attempt to draft a revised membership code for ratification by the community. (53) After an extensive consultation process undertaken from 1996 to 1999, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake released the final draft of the proposed membership law in February 2003. (54) The complexities of Indian status and band membership pose significant challenges for First