A candid, unflinching look at the sometimes subtle, sometimes ruthless ways federal policies undermine Indigenous culture and society. Carrie Schuettpelz understands firsthand how official tribal membership rations not only access to benefits such as healthcare and housing stipends, but also an ineffable sense of belonging. Her thorough excavation of the painful history that gave rise to rigid enrollment policies is a courageous gift to our understanding of contemporary Native life. To her engagingly direct voice and assured scholarship she adds a mighty resource: a data set of enrollment criteria in the 347 federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. This is groundbreaking work driven by curiosity, rigor, and high personal stakes.
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-- Whiting grand jury
