Each tribe has separate and distinct procedures but in many instances the procedures may be similar. The first step is to contact the tribe in which you are attempting to obtain membership and request the necessary forms. Many tribes require a chart to be filled out showing your ancestry and listing your family members and their tribal roll numbers if known. Certified copies of birth and death certificates also will help to verify your Indian ancestry. If your parents or other family members have been previously registered as members of a tribe the procedure is a lot less time-consuming.
Some tribes require only a trace of Indian blood while others require as much as one-half.
To become a tribal member, you must meet the criteria established by the tribe from which your Indian blood is derived. Talk with older relatives, check family bibles, wills and other documents to obtain as much information as possible. You can claim membership in separate tribes and many people have tribal memberships in as many as four different tribes. You may not claim separate tribes for the purpose of receiving educational assistance from each of the individual tribes at the same time and from the Bureau of Indian Affairs while attending school. As a general rule, an individual is allowed membership only in one tribe and in extreme circumstances or abuse of tribal membership, an individual can be removed from the tribal rolls.