Navajo Blood Quantum Rule Deemed Violation of Navajo Law and Tradition
Acting Attorney General Colin W. Bradley issued a 13-page opinion, stating that the one-fourth blood quantum requirement for tribal enrollment violates the Navajo Bill of Rights and traditional Diné principles of belonging.
“Strict enforcement of the ¼-blood-quantum requirement to deny enrollment without consideration of Navajo cultural factors violates the rights of Navajo children,”
Bradley's opinion, AG-03-25, titled “Regarding the Use of Blood Quantum in Membership,” instructs the Office of Vital Records and Identification and the Enrollment Screening Committee to recognize Navajo ancestry and cultural knowledge as valid bases for enrollment.
- The opinion directs a case-by-case approach for determining enrollment when applicants cannot document one-fourth Navajo blood under federal records.
- Navajo ancestry and cultural knowledge are to be considered as valid bases for enrollment.
Author's summary: Navajo blood quantum rule violates Navajo law.